Youth Demand Action on Tobacco Industry’s New Tactics

Global Youth Voices participating in the 10th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP10) to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).

The World Health Organization (WHO) has chosen the theme “Unmasking the Appeal” for this year’s World No Tobacco Day (May 31) to reveal the tactics employed by the tobacco and nicotine industries to make their harmful products enticing, particularly to young people.

The tobacco industry promotes the concept of harm reduction by shifting focus from traditional smoking to modern alternatives such as e-cigarettes, vaping pens, nicotine pouches, Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems, heat-not-burn devices, and other heated tobacco products.

The same tactics used decades ago to manipulate young people into smoking are now being rehashed to push these new products—often marketed under the guise of innovation or “safer” alternatives—across the globe. While the packaging and products may look new, the playbook remains the same: addict youth, expand markets, and shift the blame. And now, they’re calling it “harm reduction.”

The Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control (GGTC) estimates the tobacco industry costs the global economy a net loss of USD 1.4 trillion annually and kills more than 8 million people. Over 37 million teenagers aged 13–15 years use some form of tobacco.

The tobacco industry’s promotion of novel and emerging tobacco products as “harm reduction” has been firmly challenged by the Global Youth Voices (GYV), a global coalition of over 40 youth organizations advocating for a ban on these new recreational products. The youths also want the industry to be held financially accountable for harms caused to both current and future generations.

In their 2024 Declaration, GYV refused to accept compromised solutions that prioritize corporate profit over youth health. They have rejected the tobacco industry’s so-called “smoke-free products” and instead called for a ban on any new recreational and youth-appealing addictive products.

“The industry’s ‘harm reduction’ narrative is a smokescreen. These so-called alternatives are gateways to addiction, not exits. We must act before another generation is lost to nicotine dependence.”

Against this backdrop, Swedish member of GYV, A Non Smoking Generation, is warning the global public health community not to follow the Swedish experience of embracing oral nicotine pouches, snus, as a safer alternative to cigarettes.

Snus and new nicotine products in Sweden have been touted by the tobacco industry as safer alternatives to smoking. In reality, they are fueling a surge in nicotine addiction among Swedish youth. Tobacco and nicotine use among young people is higher than ever, alongside their exposure to aggressive marketing and easy access to nicotine products.

Sweden is not a model to follow—it’s a warning. What’s happening there is spreading globally, and the cost will be another generation trapped in nicotine addiction.

According to Sweden’s Public Health Agency, 11 percent of the population still smokes, while the use of e-cigarettes, snus, and nicotine pouches is increasing dramatically—particularly among youth.

A staggering 65 percent of high school students have tried at least one nicotine product, and smoking prevalence in this age group has increased from 17 to 21 percent in just three years. Swedish tobacco regulations have failed to protect children and youth from harmful nicotine addiction.

When nicotine pouches and vapes entered the market, Sweden’s critical misstep was allowing them to bypass tobacco legislation. As a logical step, these products should have been regulated as tobacco, since all commercial nicotine products—despite being labeled “tobacco-free”—still contain tobacco-derived nicotine.

This regulatory gap allowed tobacco companies to circumvent existing regulations and lure youth through misleading social media promotions, including candy-flavoured, youth-appealing products.

Seven in ten Swedish youths state that the perception of new nicotine products as “less harmful” than traditional tobacco is a reason to try them.

Nicotine is a poison and is addictive. Extensive use of nicotine involves numerous scientifically proven and serious health risks such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and birth defects. It can also impair cognitive functions quickly and increase the risk of mental illness.

The false narrative from Sweden—portraying vapes and pouches as harm-reducing alternatives to cigarettes—is unfortunately spreading globally. Public awareness of the severe health risks associated with nicotine is alarmingly low and risks having devastating consequences for public health.

The Swedish government recently lowered the excise tax on snus, thereby increasing the risk of more young people initiating harmful nicotine addiction. Nicotine pouches evade the excise tax on tobacco entirely and can currently be sold at a price cheaper than ice cream.

This completely ignores WHO’s recommendation that taxation is the most effective way to reduce youth access to tobacco and a cost-effective tool to prevent subsequent substance abuse.

Since the problem is created by an industry, the youth urge the Swedish government—and others observing Sweden’s model—to hold the tobacco industry financially liable for the harm it causes. This includes implementing taxes, levies, compensation mechanisms, sanctions, and other legislative tools to mitigate the damage.

Countries that have legalized new tobacco and nicotine products are now grappling with a significant rise in youth vaping. But there is hope—over 40 countries have banned these products, including, most recently, Vietnam and Papua New Guinea.

Contrary to the tobacco industry’s claims about snus, vapes, and pouches as products for smoking cessation, independent research shows that these products more often work as gateways to smoking and higher intake of alcohol and drugs.

To reduce and prevent all forms of nicotine addiction, including smoking, scientific evidence supports strong, coherent national regulations of tobacco and nicotine products. Not because each product carries identical risks, but because every child and young person is entitled to the highest standard of health and a sustainable future.

A Non Smoking Generation, together with GYV youths, calls on government officials and policymakers to not repeat the Swedish misstep but to unmask and reject the tobacco industry’s tactics and false narratives.

Helen Stjerna is Secretary-General, A Non Smoking Generation, Sweden; Rajika Mahajan is Communication Officer, Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control & Convenor of the Global Youth Voices, Bangkok.