WHO accuses tobacco industry of using 'insidious strategies' to attract young people

The warning about consumption by adolescents is part of a campaign by the World Health Organization ( WHO ) on World No Tobacco Day, which is celebrated annually on May 31st, and which this year aims to "unmask the industry's appeal" to use "highly addictive" nicotine products.

“Every day, the tobacco and nicotine industries use carefully designed products and deceptive tactics to hook a new generation of users and retain existing ones,” says the United Nations organization, which estimates that 37 million young people between the ages of 13 and 15 worldwide use tobacco.

According to the WHO, in many countries, the rate of e-cigarette use among young people exceeds that of adults and marketing content promoting this type of product has been viewed more than 3.4 billion times on social media.

The organization also states that around 16,000 flavorings can be found in many nicotine and tobacco products and that they are often cited as the main reason for starting to use.

“The tobacco and nicotine industries use insidious strategies to make their harmful products attractive, especially to young people,” accuses the WHO, for whom eliminating the appeal of these products through stricter regulations is essential to protect current and future generations from health damage.

Tobacco will kill more than 8 million people worldwide every year by 2030 if current trends continue, the WHO estimated in a report released in 2024, with 80 percent of deaths occurring in poor countries.

WHO Member States created World No Tobacco Day in 1987 to raise awareness of the “tobacco epidemic” and the deaths and illnesses it causes.

“Over the course of the 21st century, tobacco use could kill up to one billion people unless urgent action is taken,” the experts warned in the report.

Photo: Bence Halmosi / Unsplash.