How tobacco industry campaigns help addict world’s youth

Hooking the next generation.

This is not the title of a new movie or series you can binge on. It is the title of a report by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which highlights the tobacco industry’s campaigns and works “to shape policy environments to help them addict the world’s youth”.

WHO has warned of the devastating effects of tobacco addiction, especially on young people, saying the industry was using different packaging and lower pricing to get youth to buy their products.

Friday was World No Tobacco Day.

“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,” writes WHO director-general, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, in the report.

“How can they talk about harm reduction when they are marketing these dangerous, highly addictive products to children?”

The report notes that sales and pricing tactics are adopted to help ensure that products remain accessible and affordable to youth, indicating that in SA, a delivery service which delivers e-cigarettes may make it easier for young people to access these products.

It states that most adults who use tobacco started when they were children or young adults.

The report further states that lifetime users are most likely to become hooked before the age of 21.

“The industry works to reach children and youth to replace customers who quit or die. And it succeeds: an estimated 37-million children aged 13 to 15 years use tobacco, and globally, in most countries that have measured it, use of the industry’s electronic products is more prevalent among young people than among older generations,” read the report.

“The range of products the industry uses to appeal to youth has expanded significantly, from cigarettes, cigarillos and shisha to newer products like e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products and nicotine pouches.

“Flavoured products and additives, sleek designs and child-friendly packaging and imagery make addictive products even more appealing to youth. Companies rapidly launch new products that sidestep, or are not included, in current laws, and use every available means to expand their market share before regulations can catch up with them.”

The report said the “industry’s tactics include positioning many nicotine products as safer than cigarettes, potentially distracting policymakers and consumers from the fact that nicotine itself is addictive and harmful, particularly to children and youth”.

“For example, e-cigarettes with nicotine are highly addictive and are harmful to health. While long-term health effects are not fully understood, it has been established that they generate toxic substances, some of which are known to cause cancer and some that increase the risk of heart and lung disorders. Use of e-cigarettes can also affect brain development, potentially leading to learning and anxiety disorders for young people,” it found.

“Evidence from around the world shows an alarming uptake by children of some products, such as e-cigarettes. The tobacco industry is succeeding in its efforts to create a new generation of young people who smoke, vape, suck nicotine pouches or use snuff.”

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases said tobacco industries were intentional in designing products and utilising marketing strategies that appeal directly to children.

“By using child-friendly flavours such as cotton candy and bubble gum, combined with sleek and colourful designs that resemble toys, these industries aim to get young people addicted to these harmful products. These deceptive tactics highlight the urgent need for strong regulations to protect young people from a lifetime of harmful dependence.

“Governments, public health organisations, civil society, as well as empowered youth can work together to create a future where the next generation is free from the dangers of tobacco addiction. By protecting our children from the harmful effects of tobacco, we are taking a crucial step towards reducing cancer rates and ensuring a healthier future for all,” said the institute.

The report found that the industry was using social media to reach the youth.

It said governments should implement in full the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

“This includes implementing and enforcing comprehensive TAPS (tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship) bans… Raise prices and taxes on consumer tobacco, nicotine and related products to make them less affordable for children and youth; [forge ahead with] banning sales of these products to children…

“Governments should hold the tobacco and related industries accountable, including imposing financial penalties, for the harm they cause to health and the environment, the health, environmental and economic costs associated with the production, marketing and use of the industry’s products; and their deceptive marketing and other corporate practices that undermine public health and environmental policies,” the report stated.

mashabas@sowetan.co.za