Kathmandu, May 31: ‘World No Tobacco Day’ is observed annually on 31 May, bringing together governments, health organizations, civil society, and youth advocates from across the globe.
The day serves a unified purpose: to combat the tobacco epidemic and promote a future free from tobacco and nicotine for upcoming generations. This collective effort emphasizes the importance of collaboration across various sectors to achieve significant public health goals and protect future populations from the harms of tobacco use. The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced the theme for World No Tobacco Day 2026 as “Unmasking the appeal – countering nicotine and tobacco addiction.”
This campaign aims to highlight the ongoing strategies employed by the tobacco and nicotine industry to attract a new generation of users, particularly children and adolescents, while circumventing stronger tobacco control measures globally.
Despite significant progress in reducing tobacco use over the years, the industry continues to aggressively market new nicotine products, including e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches, often presenting them as innovative solutions. Recent data underscores the severity of the situation, revealing that approximately 40 million children aged 13 to 15 worldwide currently use at least one tobacco product. Among these, 20 million smoke cigarettes, and 10 million use smokeless tobacco.
Additionally, around 15 million adolescents in this age group are using e-cigarettes, with children being nine times more likely than adults to engage in vaping in regions where data is available.
Vinayak M Prasad, Head of the No Tobacco Unit at WHO, emphasized that young people are deliberately targeted through appealing flavors, attractive packaging, and misleading marketing tactics that portray these addictive products as trendy. This approach creates a cycle of addiction that poses a significant threat to the progress made in tobacco control and public health initiatives.
