Zambia: New report reveals tobacco industry continues to target youth

A recently published study in Zambia highlights the aggressive methods of tobacco multinationals, such as British American Tobacco, which continue to target young people by marketing and selling cigarettes near schools and playgrounds.[1]In this country, approximately 14.% of boys and 12.% of girls aged 13 to 15 consume tobacco products, 10.7TP3T of adults smoke and more than 7,000 die from it each year. The study was conducted using the "Big Tobacco, Tiny Targets" methodology developed by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. For this study, conducted in 2024, 475 retail outlets selling tobacco products were visited.

Big Tobacco's Aggressive Marketing Tactics Target Youth in Zambia

The study reveals that 99 tobacco product outlets, including stores and kiosks, are located within 100 meters of primary and secondary schools, playgrounds, and arcades, exposing children to tobacco marketing and promotion strategies. These practices echo the tobacco industry's documented strategy of attracting young people to points of sale through advertising in order to retain their loyalty for life.

In this study, researchers visited outlets in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, and Chongwe, located in a rural area. The results show that in 93 outlets near schools, playgrounds, and arcades, cigarettes are sold individually, making it easier for young people to access tobacco. Furthermore, 80 outlets use promotional tactics designed to attract children, such as displaying cigarettes at children's eye level, using branded displays, placing cigarettes within reach of customers, and placing tobacco products next to candy, snacks, and toys.

E-cigarettes and hookahs, while less widespread than traditional cigarettes, raise concerns about young people's access to these alternative products. Often flavored, these products are even more attractive to children.

The study also revealed that 52 % outlets display tobacco product advertisements, including posters, illuminated displays, and banners. British American Tobacco brands account for more than half of the cigarettes sold, and are often offered as individual cigarettes.

Measures to protect young people from the dangers of tobacco

Tobacco companies deliberately target young people by offering their products in places frequented by children because they know this strategy works to attract new consumers and because their business depends on youth addiction. Although major tobacco companies claim they do not target children and claim they want to reduce cigarette consumption, data from many countries around the world shows that British American Tobacco continues to target the most vulnerable populations, particularly young people, to maintain its markets.

Zambia is a party to the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which calls on countries to ban the sale of cigarettes in single packs or small packs, as this makes these products more affordable for minors. The report's authors call on Zambia to strengthen its tobacco control laws, including banning the advertising, promotion, and sponsorship of tobacco and other nicotine-related products, banning the sale of single cigarettes, and banning the sale of tobacco and nicotine products within 100 meters of primary and secondary schools to limit access to tobacco for schoolchildren.[2].

©Generation Without Tobacco

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[1]Tobacco-Free Kids, New Report Reveals Big Tobacco's Continued Targeting of Zambian Youth, published March 27, 2025, accessed March 31, 2025

[2]Center for Primary Care Research, Big Tobacco, Tiny Targets: Zambia, published in March 2025, accessed on March 31, 2025