GENEVA,Switzerland,May 2026 -The World Health Organization (WHO)is urging governments worldwide to shield young people from tobacco and nicotine addiction as the world marks World No Tobacco Day on 31 May 2026.
WHO’s latest report shows at least 40 million children aged 13–15 currently use tobacco products. At the same time, use of e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches among youth continues to climb globally.
“Tobacco companies are deliberately engineering products to make them more appealing, easier to use and harder to quit, particularly for adolescents,”it said.
“Even as tobacco kills millions, major companies are reinventing their business model, profiting from deadly cigarettes while aggressively pushing flavored e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches aimed at hooking the next generation.”
Dr. Etienne Krug, Director of Health Determinants, Promotion and Prevention at WHO, warned that nicotine is highly addictive and especially harmful for children, adolescents and young adults whose brains are still developing.
WHO singled out nicotine pouches as one of the fastest-growing nicotine products. The pouches are being promoted through social media influencers using lifestyle branding, bright packaging, and candy-like flavors designed to appeal to youth.
About 160 countries still have no specific regulations for nicotine pouches despite rapidly growing sales, leaving millions unprotected, WHO said.
To curb youth uptake, WHO advises governments to ban flavoured tobacco and nicotine products, ban advertising, promotion and sponsorship.
“Make all indoor public places completely smoke- and vape-free, and step up enforcement of existing laws,” it urges.
The agency highlighted Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as a leading example of local action. The city intensified enforcement against e-cigarette sales and advertising, and carried out hundreds of coordinated inspections.
It also launched large-scale public awareness campaigns, and strengthened smoke-free laws to cover all tobacco and nicotine products, including e-cigarettes.
On 19 May, WHO presented its 2026 World No Tobacco Day Awards to leaders taking bold action against industry tactics targeting youth. Tobacco use kills more than 7 million people every year. It remains one of the leading causes of preventable death globally and is linked to cardiovascular disease, respiratory illness and more than 20 types of cancer.
Ahead of 31 May, WHO is encouraging the world’s more than 1 billion tobacco, e-cigarette and nicotine pouch users to take the first step toward quitting. (Image Courtesy)
