The Insight Corner Hub: WHO Calls for Urgent Action to Ban Flavoured Tobacco and Nicotine Products

Introduction

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a powerful and urgent call to all nations to ban flavoured tobacco and nicotine products, citing growing concerns about their role in addicting youth and reversing decades of public health progress. As global smoking rates decline, the tobacco industry has increasingly turned to flavours and marketing tactics aimed at young people putting a new generation at risk of lifelong addiction and associated diseases.

The Appeal from WHO

On World No Tobacco Day 2025, the WHO warned that flavoured products including menthol cigarettes, fruit-flavoured e-cigarettes, and candy-like nicotine pouches are deliberately engineered to attract children and adolescents. These products often mask the harshness of nicotine, making them more palatable and deceptively harmless to first-time users.

Dr. Ruediger Krech, WHO’s Director of Health Promotion, emphasized:

“Flavours are a key tactic used by the tobacco and nicotine industry to hook children. These are not harmless sweets they are dangerous tools of addiction.”

Why the Ban is Urgent

1. Youth Addiction Crisis
   

   WHO reports a disturbing increase in youth vaping and nicotine use, with many adolescents falsely believing that flavoured products are safer alternatives. In fact, the sweet and fruity flavours are often paired with high nicotine concentrations, creating a fast track to dependency.

2. Marketing Manipulation
   

   Tobacco companies are exploiting loopholes in national laws by introducing novel products such as e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches with appealing branding, vibrant colours, and influencers on social media.

3. Public Health Impact
   

   The WHO warns that unless swift action is taken, these products could undo decades of progress in reducing tobacco-related diseases, including cancer, heart disease, and respiratory illness.

Global Status: Where Do Countries Stand?

As of 2025:

• 47 countries have fully or partially banned flavoured tobacco products.
• However, over 100 countries still lack comprehensive regulations, leaving millions of young people vulnerable to nicotine addiction.
• WHO urges governments to update legislation to include all tobacco and nicotine products, not just traditional cigarettes.

Recommendations from WHO

The WHO advises countries to:

• Enact comprehensive bans on all flavoured tobacco and nicotine products.
• Enforce strict marketing and advertising restrictions.
• Educate the public especially youth on the dangers of flavoured nicotine.
• Strengthen support systems for nicotine cessation, especially for young people.

Conclusion

The WHO's latest call is not just a warning it's a wake-up call for global action. While industry tactics evolve, so must our policies. By banning flavoured tobacco and nicotine products, we can protect the next generation from preventable harm and uphold the gains made in global tobacco control.

Governments, civil society, and healthcare professionals must unite to say: Flavour is not harmless it’s a hook. And it’s time to cut the line.

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