WHO urges global crackdown on tobacco products targeting children and teenagers

As the world observes World No Tobacco Day 2026 under the theme, “Unmasking the Appeal – Countering Nicotine and Tobacco Addiction,” the World Health Organization (WHO) has urged governments to strengthen regulations on tobacco and nicotine products, warning that at least 40 million children aged between 13 and 15 years worldwide currently use tobacco products.

In a statement, the UN health agency expressed concern over the growing use of e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches among young people, saying tobacco and nicotine companies are increasingly designing and marketing products to attract adolescents and young adults.

WHO warned that manufacturers are deliberately engineering products to make them “more appealing, easier to use and harder to quit, particularly for adolescents and young people.”

“Even as tobacco continues to kill millions of people, major tobacco companies are reinventing their business model, continuing to profit from deadly cigarettes while aggressively pushing flavoured e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches and other nicotine products aimed at hooking the next generation,” said Dr Etienne Krug, Director of WHO’s Department of Health Determinants, Promotion and Prevention.

The agency noted that nicotine is highly addictive and particularly harmful to children, adolescents and young adults whose brains are still developing. It said flavoured products, colourful packaging and social media marketing campaigns have contributed to the increasing appeal of nicotine products among young users.

WHO also raised concern over nicotine pouches, describing them as one of the fastest-growing nicotine products globally.

According to the organisation, around 160 countries still lack specific regulations governing nicotine pouches despite rapidly growing sales worldwide.

“Bright packaging, candy-like flavours and influencer campaigns are the same tactics used for other nicotine products, with the primary goal of creating addiction to these harmful products,” WHO said.

To address the growing challenge, the agency called on governments to ban flavoured nicotine products, prohibit advertising and sponsorship, enforce smoke- and vape-free public spaces and strengthen regulatory oversight.

WHO highlighted the city of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil as an example of successful action, citing intensified enforcement against e-cigarette sales and advertising, coordinated inspections and expanded public awareness campaigns.

The organisation also recognised global leaders and institutions that have taken significant steps to combat tobacco use through the 2026 World No Tobacco Day Awards.

Tobacco use remains one of the leading causes of preventable deaths worldwide, claiming more than seven million lives each year and contributing to cardiovascular disease, respiratory illnesses and more than 20 types of cancer.

WHO has encouraged the world's more than one billion tobacco, e-cigarette and nicotine pouch users to take the first step towards quitting and breaking free from nicotine addiction.