World No Tobacco Day 2024: Protecting Youth from the Tobacco Industry Lobby

World No Tobacco Day is celebrated on 31 May each year to raise awareness of the many harmful effects of the tobacco industry and to advocate for effective policies to reduce tobacco use worldwide. This year's theme is "Protecting Children from Tobacco Industry Interference". Despite a general decline in tobacco use worldwide, this progress is threatened by the emergence of new addictive products.

According to 2022 data, at least 37 million young people aged 13–15 years use tobacco in some form worldwide. In the WHO European Region, 11.5% of boys and 10.1% of girls aged 13–15 years are tobacco users (4 million).

Young people, the tobacco industry's main target

Young people are a key target for tobacco companies because they represent the consumers of tomorrow. According to global estimates, nearly 9 out of 10 smokers start smoking before the age of 18 and 98 out of 10 before the age of 26. The earlier the initiation of smoking, the higher the risk of addiction. At the same time, the longer the duration of smoking, the more difficult it is to quit.

For the World Health Organization, this day should serve as a catalyst for young people, policy makers and tobacco control advocates around the world. The challenge is to alert and urge governments to adopt stronger policies protecting young people from the practices of the tobacco industry and related industries. While tobacco consumption is tending to decrease worldwide, this decline is threatened by the emergence of new nicotine products such as e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches/pearls that are heavily promoted to young people, particularly on digital platforms popular with them.

It is estimated that 12.5% of adolescents in the European region used e-cigarettes in 2022, compared to 2% of adults. In some countries in the region, e-cigarette use rates among middle/high school students are 2 to 3 times higher than smoking rates.

WHO reiterates that new tobacco and nicotine products are not safe, and that there is growing evidence that the tobacco industry and its allies are actively trying to undermine tobacco control efforts through the use of these new products. These are presented as lower-risk products in order to take advantage of favorable regulations, recruit new users, and keep current smokers addicted to nicotine.

Keywords: JMST, world no tobacco day, lobby, youth, vaping, tobacco, 2024

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