The Tobacco Industry is Aggressively Marketing New Products – Here is How We Can Combat Their Actions and Save Lives

The tobacco and nicotine industries have a long and troubling history of aggressively marketing harmful products, especially to children and young people. This issue is particularly important given its negative impact on the health and future of our children. These industries prey on youth, luring them into addiction with sweet flavours, flashy packaging and misleading messaging. Such tactics may increase profits, but they do so at a devastating cost to human health. We must act urgently and decisively to stop them.

Tobacco use kills millions of people each year, and the introduction of new nicotine products has created new threats, particularly for young people who are being exposed to nicotine in insidious new ways. The theme of this year’s World No Tobacco Day – “Unmasking the Appeal: Exposing Industry Tactics on Tobacco and Nicotine Products” – could not be timelier. It reflects a growing recognition that these products are not benign alternatives to traditional tobacco use. They are engineered to cause an addiction and they are deliberately designed to attract youth.

Flavours as a gateway to addiction

One of the most effective and dangerous tactics used by the tobacco industry is the use of flavours. From menthol to mango, flavours attract new nicotine users – particularly adolescents – and mask the harshness of tobacco, making it easier to start and continue using tobacco and nicotine products. Research has consistently shown that flavoured products increase the appeal of tobacco, especially among youth, and contribute to both initiation and long-term use.

As early as 2010, Parties to the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) recognized the serious risks associated with this strategy. In adopting the Partial Guidelines for Implementation of Articles 9 and 10 of the Convention, they recommended prohibiting or restricting ingredients used to increase product attractiveness and palatability, such as sweeteners and flavours. In line with these recommendations, the WHO Study Group on Tobacco Product Regulation, in 2016, released an advisory note on menthol consolidating recent evidence on its prevalence and health effects. The conclusion was clear: menthol, and its analogues, derivatives and precursors, should be banned.

The 2023 WHO FCTC Global Progress Report further reinforces this conclusion. As noted in the report, “a key strategy used by the tobacco industry to attract people to use tobacco is to mask the harshness of tobacco with flavours, contributing to the promotion and sustained use of tobacco products”. The report also highlights the fact that despite clear recommendations, many Parties to the Convention still face challenges in fully implementing articles 9 and 10 of the treaty, particularly regarding flavoured products.

This gap in implementation leaves a dangerous loophole that the industry is all too eager to exploit. Even in countries that ban flavoured products, companies have introduced “flavour accessories” such as flavour capsules or add-on aroma cards to bypass regulations. This underscores the importance of not only establishing bans but also closing all regulatory gaps to prevent circumvention by the tobacco industry.

The call to action: Banning flavoured tobacco products to protect youth

The urgent need to ban flavoured tobacco and nicotine products is not just about regulating taste; it is about protecting children from lifelong addiction and preventable diseases. Evidence shows that young people are more likely to start using tobacco or nicotine products when they are flavoured. Once addicted, they are more likely to become long-term users – a fact well known to the industry.

The products may have changed from cigarettes to sleek vapes, but the industry’s goal remains the same: hook new users early and keep them for life.

The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control: A powerful tool to address industry tactics

FCTC is the first public health treaty negotiated under the auspices of WHO. It reaffirms the right of all people to the highest attainable standard of health and provides a legally binding framework for tobacco control. It equips countries with concrete tools to fight back against industry tactics. Four articles of the Convention are especially powerful in this regard:

• Article 9 – Regulation of the contents of tobacco products: This article empowers governments to regulate ingredients, including flavours, that increase the palatability and addictiveness of tobacco. It is a critical lever to remove harmful and attractive additives and prevent the masking of tobacco’s harshness.
• Article 10 – Regulation of tobacco product disclosures: By mandating full disclosure of ingredients, this article enables transparency. Consumers deserve to know what is in the products they use, and governments need this information to enforce effective regulations.
• Article 13 – Tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship: This article requires comprehensive bans on advertising, including on digital platforms and entertainment media, which have become major arenas for youth-targeted promotion. The guidelines for implementation for article 13 also address cross-border advertising and depiction in media and social media – key areas being exploited by the industry.
• Article 16 – Sales to and by minors: This article mandates restrictions on youth access, including age limits, vendor licensing and banning sales near schools. These are essential for reducing the accessibility and visibility of tobacco products among minors.

The combined power of the measures in the Convention and the governing body decisions of the Parties to the Convention equips countries with a strong legal basis to ban or control flavoured tobacco and nicotine products, especially to protect youth from initiating use and developing addiction.

This issue goes beyond public policy; it is about protecting our children, our families and our communities from products that are designed to provoke an addiction and kill.

Protecting public health: More than just regulation

Regulation alone is not enough. The tobacco and nicotine industries are relentless in adapting to new legal landscapes. That is why article 5.3 of the Convention, which addresses industry interference, is cross-cutting and, therefore, so essential. It requires Parties to the Convention to protect public health policies from the commercial interests of the tobacco industry. This means rejecting partnerships, resisting lobbying and keeping decision-making spaces free from industry influence. In addition, governments should:

• ban flavours in all tobacco and nicotine products, including accessories that allow flavours to be added post-sale;
• insist on plain packaging on tobacco products and limit product design elements that attract youth;
• enforce advertising bans that extend to social media, influencer marketing and entertainment;
• ensure tobacco- and nicotine-free public places to protect non-users and de-normalize the use of these products; and
• strengthen enforcement of age restrictions and regulate online sales and delivery.

Global progress and the road ahead

Many countries have already taken bold steps, yet progress remains uneven and industry tactics continue to evolve. Some countries lack comprehensive regulations, while others struggle with enforcement. International cooperation is vital in this regard. By sharing best practices, building regulatory capacity and standing together against industry manipulation, the global community can accelerate progress.

This issue goes beyond public policy; it is about protecting our children, our families and our communities from products that are designed to provoke an addiction and kill. The industry’s tactics may be evolving, but our resolve must remain firm.

The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and the decisions from its governing body offer a road map. They empower us with the tools to unmask the tobacco industry’s appeal, shut down its tactics and prioritize health over profit. But it will take all of us – governments, policymakers, advocates, parents and youth – to make this vision a reality.

We must act now. For our children. For our future. For a world free from tobacco and nicotine addiction.