In 2022/3 HIFA hosted an in-depth discussion on Smoking and tobacco, sponsored by NextGenU.org
We exchanged 96 substantive messages. https://www.hifa.org/sites/default/files/publications_pdf/HIFA-Tobacco-C...
Tomorrow is World No Tobacco Day.
From WHO: https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-no-tobacco-day/2026
Sunday, 31 May
World No Tobacco Day 2026
Unmasking the appeal: countering nicotine and tobacco addiction
World No Tobacco Day 2026 shines a spotlight on how the tobacco and nicotine industries continue to reinvent and market their products to attract a new generation of users. WHO is calling for stronger measures to protect young people, including banning flavours, advertising, promotion and product design that increase appeal.
As part of the campaign, WHO is highlighting growing concerns around nicotine pouches. A new WHO report warns that nicotine pouches are being aggressively promoted to young people through social media, influencers, flavourings and lifestyle marketing, while many countries still lack regulations governing their sale and marketing. WHO is urging governments to strengthen oversight and close regulatory gaps to prevent a new generation from becoming addicted to nicotine.
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WHO Information sheet: Manipulation and marketing strategies used by tobacco and nicotine industries to promote their products
https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/information-sheet--manipulation-...
Tobacco, nicotine and related products are often manipulated to attract and retain users, including through deception, for commercial gain, at the expense of public health. Deliberate strategies used by the tobacco and nicotine industries include engineering the content and design of their products to enhance attractiveness and nicotine addictiveness. Misleading product descriptions are used to glamourize harmful products and conceal their dangers, with users often not fully aware of what they are consuming. Tobacco and nicotine industries also employ a wide range of other strategies, including misleading marketing narratives and manipulating science to downplay risk, political lobbying and deceptive corporate branding.
Understanding how tobacco and nicotine industries manipulate their products and market them is essential to counter misinformation. This information sheet ‘Manipulation and marketing strategies used by tobacco and nicotine industries to promote their products’ is intended for a wide range of audiences, including governments. It uncovers various industries’ strategies and calls for strong regulations that protect public health, especially that of vulnerable populations such as children and young people, from the industries’ commercial interests.
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