Young people are using e-cigarettes at rates higher than adults in many countries, as the tobacco industry is specifically targeting youth, says The World Health Organization (WHO).
“History is repeating, as the tobacco industry tries to sell the same nicotine to our children in different packaging. These industries are actively targeting schools, children and young people with new products that are essentially a candy-flavoured trap. How can they talk about ‘harm reduction’ when they are marketing these dangerous, highly addictive products to children?,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO.
This year’s theme for World No Tobacco Day – ‘Protecting children from tobacco industry interference’- advocates for an end to the targeting of youth with harmful tobacco products. The tobacco industry markets fruit and candy flavoured tobacco and nicotine products like gadgets or toys in attractive packaging under the garb of less harmful novel products. In reality, these products are hooking young people across the world to a life time of dangerous addiction.
“Hooking the next generation”, a new report jointly launched by WHO and STOP, a global tobacco industry watchdog, highlights how the tobacco industry designs products, implements marketing campaigns and influences policies to help addict the youth to........