The Insight Corner Hub: WHO Calls for Urgent Ban on Flavoured Tobacco and Nicotine Products: Let’s Save the World Together

By Joseph NZAYISENGA | Insightful Corner Hub

Introduction

The World Health Organization (WHO) has sounded a global alarm, calling for an urgent ban on flavoured tobacco and nicotine products, citing rising youth addiction rates and mounting evidence of serious health risks. As public health experts and advocates for a healthier world, it is time for all of us to act boldly and decisively. Let us explore why this issue demands immediate attention with facts, figures, and the human cost at the center

🚭 What Are Flavoured Tobacco and Nicotine Products?

Flavoured products include menthol cigarettes, fruit-flavoured e-cigarettes, vanilla pipe tobacco, and candy-like nicotine pouches. These flavours mask the harsh taste of tobacco and appeal particularly to children, teenagers, and young adults, increasing their likelihood of trying and becoming addicted to nicotine.

📈 Alarming Global Prevalence and Incidence

According to the 2024 WHO Global Youth Tobacco Survey:

• Nearly 37 million youth worldwide (ages 13–15) use tobacco, and the majority start with flavoured products.
• In high-income countries, 1 in 5 teens have tried e-cigarettes over 70% of them prefer flavoured options.
• In the African region, where regulatory frameworks are still developing, the use of flavoured smokeless tobacco is rapidly increasing, especially among rural youth.

In countries like the U.S., a 2023 CDC report found:

• 85% of e-cigarette users aged 12–17 used flavoured products.
• In just one year, incidence of new users rose by 13% among middle schoolers and 17% among high schoolers, fueled mainly by fruit, mint, and candy-flavoured vapes.

⚠️ The Hidden Harms of Flavoured Tobacco

1. Addiction at a Young Age
Nicotine is highly addictive, and flavoured products act as a gateway to lifelong dependency. Brain development continues until the age of 25, and early nicotine exposure alters neural pathways, increasing vulnerability to other addictions.

2. Respiratory and Cardiovascular Harm
Flavoured e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products expose users to toxic aerosols, heavy metals, and carcinogens. Research links these products to:

• Chronic bronchitis and asthma in adolescents
• Elevated heart rate and blood pressure
• Increased risk of stroke and heart disease in young adults

3. Disguised Risk: Appealing but Dangerous
Flavours give the false impression that these products are safer or healthier alternatives to smoking a deadly misconception. In reality, most contain equivalent or even higher levels of nicotine compared to traditional cigarettes.

📣 WHO's Position: Ban Flavoured Nicotine Now

Dr. Ruediger Krech, WHO Director for Health Promotion, declared in a May 2025 statement:

“Flavoured nicotine products are luring a new generation into addiction. We cannot allow history to repeat itself with a new form of tobacco epidemic. Countries must act swiftly to ban these products and protect future generations.”

WHO recommends:

• Immediate bans on all flavoured nicotine and tobacco products, including menthol and fruit variants.
• Stronger regulations on online and point-of-sale advertising targeting youth.
• Education campaigns to debunk myths about the "safety" of e-cigarettes.

🌍 A Call to Action: Let’s Save the World Together

We stand at a critical point in global health history. Every day we delay action, millions more children are targeted, addicted, and endangered.

🟢 Governments must enact and enforce bans on flavoured products.
🟢 Health professionals must advocate for stronger public policies.
🟢 Parents and educators must teach youth the risks of nicotine early.
🟢 You, dear reader, can spread awareness and demand change.

💬 Final Thoughts

Banning flavoured tobacco and nicotine products is not just a policy choice it is a moral imperative. Together, we can fight back against this silent epidemic. We must prioritize life over profit, health over addiction, and our youth over corporate gain.

Let’s unite under the WHO’s vision for a tobacco-free generation. Share this article, raise your voice, and let’s save the world, one policy, one person, and one child at a time.

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