{"id":22059,"date":"2024-08-09T11:31:28","date_gmt":"2024-08-09T09:31:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.generationsanstabac.org\/?post_type=actualites&p=22059"},"modified":"2025-01-16T15:20:27","modified_gmt":"2025-01-16T14:20:27","slug":"journee-internationale-de-la-jeunesse-loms-donne-la-parole-aux-jeunes-pour-denoncer-les-tactiques-de-lindustrie-du-tabac","status":"publish","type":"actualites","link":"https:\/\/www.generationsanstabac.org\/en\/actualites\/journee-internationale-de-la-jeunesse-loms-donne-la-parole-aux-jeunes-pour-denoncer-les-tactiques-de-lindustrie-du-tabac\/","title":{"rendered":"International Youth Day: WHO gives voice to young people to denounce tobacco industry tactics"},"content":{"rendered":"

On the occasion of International Youth Day, which will be held on August 12, the World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with Good Governance for Tobacco Control (GGTC), the Secretariat of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), Global Youth Voices (GYV), and Stop Tobacco Pollution Alliance (STPA), are organizing a webinar to present and promote digital solutions and the use of artificial intelligence to counter tobacco industry tactics on digital media.<\/em><\/p>\n

The webinar will also announce the winners of the 2024 Global Media Competition (Global Media Competition<\/a>) organized by the WHO and the GGTC. The competition asked people under 35 to make short videos for social media exposing the tobacco industry's deceptive tactics and highlighting effective measures that protect children from its harmful influence. About 100 young people from 50 countries submitted a video.<\/p>\n

Many international and regional tobacco control organizations, such as Action on Smoking & Health (ASH), Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK), the African Tobacco Control Alliance (ACTA), the National Committee Against Tobacco (CNCT), SmokeFree Partnership (SFP), Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA) and the Swiss Association for Tobacco Control AT Suisse, are supporting this event.<\/p>\n

Youth involvement necessary to fight tobacco epidemic <\/strong><\/h2>\n

International Youth Day, celebrated annually on 12 August, recognizes and promotes the significant role young people play in global development. This year's theme, "From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development," highlights the crucial link between digitalization and the acceleration of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), emphasizing the essential role of youth in this transformation.<\/p>\n

Strengthening the implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) is specifically mentioned in Sustainable Development Goal 3a, but concrete efforts in tobacco control overlap with and influence virtually all other Sustainable Development Goals as well. While youth-focused digital solutions have transformative potential to advance sustainable development, in contrast, the tobacco industry is exploiting digital platforms, in an unregulated manner, to advertise its nicotine products to young people and reach new audiences. In response, COP10 of the WHO FCTC adopted additional guidance on Article 13 to extend the ban on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship to digital media platforms and calls on Parties to collaborate on cross-border advertising.<\/p>\n

For WHO and its partners, International Youth Day offers a unique opportunity to showcase and promote digital solutions proposed by young people to counter the tobacco industry's tactics.<\/p>\n

Raising awareness among young people about the deceptive practices of the tobacco industry<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The WHO points out that the tobacco industry has been targeting young people for decades to recruit new users. Recently, this recruitment has involved collaborative campaigns with influencers, social media, music festivals, and others, and the marketing of new nicotine products such as heated tobacco, vaping products, and nicotine pouches containing a variety of attractive flavors. Through this competition, the WHO and its partners aim to raise awareness of the many harmful effects of the tobacco industry's activities and advocate for effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption worldwide.<\/p>\n

Participants were asked to create short videos for social media exposing these industry practices, with an emphasis on a "for youth by youth" approach. Several prize categories are offered, with rewards of up to 5,000 $ for the overall winner:<\/p>\n