Thanks to Joseph Ana for alerting us to this new report from WHO. Unfortunately when I try to access it I get an error message: 403 Forbidden. Would others like to try? Go to:Thttps://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240094642
and click on download report.
However, some background is provided by Global Health NOW (an excellent daily newsletter to keep uptodate on global health):
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Global Health NOW: Big Tobacco’s Youth-Targeting Tactics
The tobacco industry has adopted new tactics to hook young people on nicotine—using enticing flavors, eye-popping product designs, and social media marketing, the WHO warns in a new report.
Vapes the new gateway: As tobacco regulation tightens, the industry is investing in vapes, heated tobacco products, and nicotine pouches under the auspices of providing a smoking alternative to adults, reports Reuters.
• But the WHO says the new products’ technicolor packaging and buzzy marketing campaigns—including sponsoring music festivals—betrays a “blatant attempt” to target youth.
Details of the report, released ahead of World No Tobacco Day May 31:
• Globally, ~37 million children ages 13–15 use tobacco.
• In many countries, the rate of e-cigarette use among adolescents exceeds that of adults.
• 20% of 15-year-olds surveyed in the WHO European Region reported using e-cigarettes in the past 30 days.
And: Growing evidence shows that vaping increases traditional cigarette use by ~3X, the WHO says.
The Quote: "History is repeating itself, but in a different form. The same nicotine with a different packaging," said WHO's Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
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HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org
