Tobacco and nicotine products are being engineered to attract and addict a new generation of users. The tobacco industry is targeting children and adolescents through its use of flavours, branding and engagement with digital platforms. These tactics are designed to normalize nicotine use, conceal its harms and get young people stuck in a cycle of addiction.
On World No Tobacco Day 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) in the Eastern Mediterranean calls for urgent and decisive action to “unmask the appeal” and confront the tactics driving nicotine addiction.
“This is not accidental. It is the result of deliberate strategies – flavours that mask harshness, packaging that attracts and digital marketing that normalizes use. Combined with weak regulation, enforcement gaps and persistent industry interference, these tactics are driving a growing and evolving epidemic,” said WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Hanan Balkhy.
The Region faces one of the highest burdens of youth tobacco use globally. An estimated 5.5 million children aged 13–15 are already using tobacco, underlining how early exposure is shaping lifelong patterns of nicotine addiction.
“As a paediatrician and a mother, I find this deeply concerning. These products are designed to create addiction early, targeting young people at a stage of life when their bodies and brains are still developing,” said Dr Balkhy.
Adolescents are being drawn into using newer nicotine products at alarming rates. On average, young people are 9 times more likely to use e-cigarettes than adults. In several countries in the Region, e-cigarette use among adolescents, particularly young boys, has reached 30% in some areas.
Exposure to tobacco and nicotine marketing is widespread. In several countries in the Region more than half of young people report exposure to tobacco advertising and promotion, with some surveys indicating exposure levels reaching 80% to 90%. Much of this exposure happens online, through social media and other digital platforms, where content is easily shared and regulations are harder to enforce.
“In a Region where a large share of the population is under 30, the stakes could not be higher. Without decisive action, we risk locking a new generation into lifelong addiction,” said Dr Balkhy.
Major gaps in the implementation and enforcement of existing policies allow harmful industry practices to persist. Without stronger and more consistent action decades of progress in tobacco control risk being reversed, placing additional strain on already burdened health systems.
Countries in the Region have the legal frameworks and policy tools needed to respond. The priority now is to fully implement and enforce them to protect young people from targeted industry practices.
To prevent the next wave of tobacco and nicotine related disease and death, it is essential to protect the Region’s large population of young people from the tobacco industry’s aggressive tactics. WHO is calling on governments and partners to act decisively and collectively, and on parents, educators and community leaders to play a key role in recognizing and countering these tactics at the local level.
Actions that work include enforcing comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship; strengthening health warnings, including graphic warnings across all products; increasing taxes and prices to reduce affordability; regulating all nicotine and tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, and countering industry tactics, particularly across digital platforms and retail environments.
Under the theme “Unmasking the appeal – countering nicotine and tobacco addiction”, this year’s campaign shines a spotlight on how the tobacco industry continues to develop ways to mask addiction risks and expand its reach among young people.
With stronger enforcement, clearer accountability and sustained political commitment, it is possible to break the cycle of nicotine addiction and keep future generations from preventable harm.
