Smoke-free future: How youth are taking the lead against nicotine addiction

Indian Express

6 hours ago

Then just 12 years old, Agamroop Kaur realised that many of her classmates at Canyon Middle School, California, were using e-cigarettes and even noticed a distinct smell in the school bathroom—prompting this young champion to launch an anti-tobacco campaign.
Eight years on, the Indian-origin, US-based 20-year-old has not only made an impact but is among the youth ambassadors for the campaign on tobacco-free kids. At the World Conference on Tobacco Control at Dublin, Kaur as a youth ambassador has been engaged actively in various sessions talking about the power of education and advocacy as the driving force to find solutions for the e-cigarette epidemic.
As per the WHO Global Tobacco Epidemic Report 2025, there has been a growing trend to regulate the use of e-cigarettes of ENDS – Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems. The number of countries regulating or banning ENDS has grown from 122 in 2022 to 133 in 2024, a clear signal of increased attention to these products. However over 60 countries till lack any regulations on ENDS.
Dr Ruediger Krech, director of Health Promotion, WHO, said while significant strides have been made in protecting people from the harmful effects of tobacco, much more needs to be done. Voices of youth is important in this fight and, according to Kaur, collectively there is a power for greater change.
Kaur has not only authored op-ed articles, produced a documentary on youth e-cigarettes epidemic but she has made it a mission to educate peers about the dangers of vaping. She worked persistently on successful campaigns in five California cities and Contra Costa County to end the sale of flavoured e-cigarettes. In 2022, she was presented several awards for being a tireless champion for the right to breathe smoke free air. She received the 2022 Barrie's Fiske National Youth Advocate of the Year and strongly feels that the future of tobacco control is youth powered.
Currently pursing a major in Cognitive Science and Global Health at UCLA, Kaur has also served on the Board of Directors for public health NGOs and has spoken on global panels for several organisations including the United Nations, CDC and World Heart Federation.
'We have faced several challenges as the tobacco industry challenged the bill that had proposed a ban on tobacco products. But we persisted and the bill was eventually passed,' Kaur recalled.
At the conference at Dublin, among other young ambassadors working on tobacco control and mobilising youth to protect their generation from the harms of tobacco and nicotine addiction include Lisa Lu, who is a senior at Stanford University, studying to be a lawyer and who set up the International Youth Tobacco Control, and Manik Marganamahendra, Executive Director of Indonesia Youth Council for Tactical Challenges who received the 2025 Global Young Ambassador of the Year award.
'The best way to promote education about tobacco and its harmful usage is to reach out to students in a simple and easy to understand format. We need to speak their language so that they feel more involved,' said Manik who began his involvement in tobacco control a decade ago at the University of Indonesia where he led student protests on opposing legislations that favoured the tobacco industry.
Lisa, 22, too has a played a key role in advocating for a new law prohibiting the sale of flavoured tobacco products in Los Angeles county. She remembers the time when she travelled to China and conducted a survey of 857 students. Witnessing a culture of teenage smoking she set up the IYTC and expanded the organisation to 60 countries. 'There are several challenges but we need to invest in young voices and lead the fight against tobacco,' she said while Gene Gesite Jr. from Philippines spoke about challenges he faced as he grew up surrounded by friends who found smoking very cool. Now as the coordinator of the Global Youth Voices the focus is getting more organisations onboard to step up the fight against nicotine addiction.
Anuradha Mascarenhas is a journalist with The Indian Express and is based in Pune. A senior editor, Anuradha writes on health, research developments in the field of science and environment and takes keen interest in covering women's issues. With a career spanning over 25 years, Anuradha has also led teams and often coordinated the edition.
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