Latest news with #FCTC
Scoop
3 days ago
- Health
- Scoop
Flavoured Nicotine Products Driving Youth Addiction, WHO Warns
This is especially true among youth users: it's one of the main reasons young people experiment with tobacco or nicotine products in the first place, according to the UN World Health Organization (WHO). Flavoured nicotine and tobacco products are inherently addictive and toxic – often more so than regular tobacco. Flavours increase usage, make quitting harder, and have been linked to serious lung diseases, WHO maintains. Despite decades of progress in tobacco control, flavoured products are luring a new generation into addiction and contributing to eight million tobacco-related deaths each year. Youth-oriented marketing Nicotine products are often marketed directly toward young people through bright and colourful packaging featuring sweet and fruity flavour descriptors. Research shows that this type of advertising can trigger reward centres in adolescent brains and weaken the impact of health warnings. Young people also report a growing presence of flavoured nicotine product marketing across all social media platforms. This marketing of flavours works across all forms of nicotine and tobacco products, including cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, pouches and hookahs. WHO said flavours such as menthol, bubble gum and cotton candy, are 'masking the harshness of tobacco' and other nicotine products, turning what are toxic products 'into youth-friendly bait.' Call for action Just ahead of World No Tobacco Day, the UN health agency released a series of fact sheets and called on governments to ban all flavours in tobacco and nicotine products to protect young people from lifelong addiction and disease. It cited Articles 9 and 10 of the successful 2003 Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which obliges countries to regulate the contents and disclosure of tobacco products, including flavourings. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Friday that ' without bold action, the global tobacco epidemic…will continue to be driven by addiction dressed up with appealing flavours. ' As of December 2024, over 50 countries had adopted policies regulating tobacco additives, with most targeting flavourings by banning flavour labels or images and restricting the sale of flavored products. Some also control flavour use during production. However, the WHO noted that tobacco companies and retailers have found ways to circumvent these rules, offering flavour accessories including sprays, cards, capsules and filter tips, to add to unflavoured products. Still, WHO is urging all 184 FCTC parties (which make up 90 per cent of the world's population) to implement and enforce strong bans and restrictions on flavoured products and related additives.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Anti Tobacco Forum opposes reported launch of nicotine-laced candies, toffees, and ice creams
Anti Tobacco Forum (ATF), Mysuru, has opposed the reported launch of nicotine-laced candies, toffees, and ice creams by the tobacco industry in different parts of the world. In a statement issued on the eve of 'World No Tobacco Day 2025' on the theme 'Unmasking the appeal: Exposing industry tactics on tobacco and nicotine products', Vasanthkumar Mysoremath, convenor of ATF, Mysuru, said the nicotine-laced products launched by tobacco industry have emerged as the newest threat to public health from tobacco that is already claiming a large number of deaths worldwide. Designed to make the children and youth of today addicted to tobacco, these nicotine-laced products should be banned by the authorities like e-cigarettes, said Mr. Mysoremath. 'Tobacco industry is aiming at turning children into addicts to increase profits,' said Mr. Mysmoremath, while pointing out that WHO expects to create awareness in the minds of children/adults about the harmful effects of consuming tobacco products and wants countries to adopt stronger policies, including a ban on flavours that make tobacco and nicotine products more appealing for protecting public health. Pointing out tobacco kills 8 million people annually, he said tobacco consumption leads to various non-communicable diseases like cancer, blood pressure, lung infection, asthma, etc. Mr. Mysoremath regretted that many governments of signatory countries to the WHO-sponsored Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) are found to be adopting dual standards in implementing the guidelines prescribed in FCTC. 'Some countries even subsidise tobacco cultivation by financing through supply of implements, concessions for fertilizers, easy loans through government banks, procuring excess grown tobacco by licensed and unlicensed growers, insurance money of policy holders invested in tobacco companies, elected political leaders assuring tobacco farmers to continue to grow quality tobacco and participating in events organised by tobacco farmers association and tobacco industry,' he said. 'Why is cultivation, production, and supply system of tobacco not being efficiently controlled is the big question?', he asked and wondered why the authorities, who had the discretion to either withdraw or cancel the permits and sanctions to grow tobacco and start tobacco products manufacturing facility,were not doing so. In order to help farmers give up tobacco farming and become debt-free, Mr. Mysoremath sought the creation of a corpus from the Budget or seek international funding and clear the outstanding loans of farmers as a one-time tobacco control measure and withdraw their licenses to cultivate tobacco with an affidavit that they will adopt alternate crops. 'This way, it is possible to effectively control the raw material supply to the tobacco industry,' he said.
India Gazette
3 days ago
- Health
- India Gazette
WHO urges members to curb tobacco consumption under
New Delhi [India], May 30 (ANI): World No Tobacco Day, marked annually on 31 May, addresses a major public health challenge--the persistent burden of tobacco use. This year's theme, 'Unmasking the Appeal' compels us to expose the deceptive marketing tactics and manipulative strategies employed by the tobacco industry, especially those targeting our youth and women, a statement by Saima Wazed, Regional Director for WHO South-East Asia said. Tobacco use remains the single most preventable cause of death worldwide and is a leading risk factor for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory illness. Our Region continues to bear a mammoth share of the global tobacco burden, with some 411 million adult tobacco users across our eleven countries. With one-third of the world's tobacco users, South-East Asia is the epicentre of the global tobacco epidemic. Most concerning is the prevalence of smokeless tobacco use, with the Region accounting for over 280 million users, or 77% of the global total, the statement said. The statement says, despite these alarming figures, we have reason to be hopeful. Between 2000 and 2022, tobacco use among adult men and women in the region declined from 68.9% to 43.7%, and from 33.5% to 9.4%, respectively. These significant reductions are the result of sustained, evidence-based tobacco control efforts led by governments, civil society, and public health advocates. Our collective resolve is paying off. We are on track to meet the NCD Global Target of a 30% relative reduction in tobacco use prevalence by 2025 among people aged 15 years and older, compared to 2010 levels. In fact, we are projected to achieve a 34% reduction, a rare and remarkable accomplishment. However, these gains must not breed complacency, the statement read. Tobacco remains an ever-evolving and formidable threat. We now face aggressive industry marketing of new and emerging nicotine and tobacco products (NENTPs) -- such as electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products, and flavoured nicotine pouches. These are being disguised as safer alternatives and deliberately targeted at children and adolescents. An estimated 11 million adolescents aged 13-15 years are already addicted to tobacco products in our region, nearly 30% of the global total in this age group. The theme of World No Tobacco Day 2025 urges us to unmask these dangerous industry ploys. Flavoured nicotine and tobacco products, attractive packaging, influencer endorsements on social media, and misleading health claims are tools of manipulation designed to recruit new users and keep existing users addicted. The statement called on the countries to take bold actions, including: strengthening implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and MPOWER provisions, enforcing comprehensive bans on NENTPs, expanding quality tobacco cessation services, and protecting health policies from tobacco industry interference in line with Article 5.3 of the WHO FCTC. The list further added- countering surrogate advertising and misleading promotion of smokeless tobacco and arecanut products, and investing in youth-led campaigns, peer education, and school health programs to build tobacco resistance and prevent initiation. WHO urged its Member States to invest in disaggregated data collection, strengthen research on local tobacco trends and their determinants, and enhance the enforcement of tobacco control laws on the ground to close regulatory loopholes and stay ahead of evolving industry malpractices. The WHO says, Tobacco use not only kills prematurely -- it deepens poverty, damages the environment, and burdens families and health systems. This World No Tobacco Day is a call for vigilance and action. Let us work together to 'unmask the appeal' of tobacco in all its forms and reveal its true face: disease, death, and despair. Together, we can create a future where our children live free from the shadow of tobacco and enjoy healthier, longer lives. (ANI)
Business Recorder
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
Tobacco taxation discourse: Concern raised over recurring pattern of global interventions
ISLAMABAD: Mubashir Akram, National Convenor of ACT Alliance Pakistan, has emphasised the need to safeguard Pakistan's fiscal sovereignty by ensuring that tax policymaking remains anchored in national interests and grounded in local realities. Speaking with journalists in Islamabad, Akram expressed concern over the recurring pattern of international interventions in Pakistan's tobacco taxation discourse, particularly in the weeks leading up to the federal budget. He noted that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has recently taken a more prominent role in advocating for tax increases on tobacco products, following years of similar activism by foreign-funded entities such as the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (CTFK) and Vital Strategies. These organisations, he pointed out, 'operated in Pakistan for extended periods without securing the required No Objection Certificate from the Economic Affairs Division and registration with the Ministry of Interior.' 'While we value public health as a national priority, it is essential to ensure that our tax policies are developed through transparent, consultative processes and not imposed through externally funded campaigns,' Akram stated. 'These campaigns often overlook the complex enforcement environment in Pakistan and fail to differentiate between legal, tax-compliant businesses and those operating outside the regulatory net.' Akram further questioned the consistency of WHO's global advocacy, highlighting the contrast between its policy prescriptions for Pakistan and the regulatory practices in its host country, Switzerland. 'Despite championing the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) globally, Switzerland has yet to ratify it. The country permits tobacco sponsorships, advertising, and retail marketing practices that run counter to FCTC principles, with some basic restrictions only coming into force as recently as late 2024,' he remarked. He stressed that any call for aggressive tax hikes must be tempered with practical considerations of enforcement and market dynamics. 'Pakistan's tobacco sector suffers an annual revenue loss of over Rs. 30 billion due to illegal trade, tax evasion, and regulatory non-compliance. The legal industry, already burdened by high tax rates implemented in 2023, cannot sustain further pressure without risking a complete market imbalance.' He added that Pakistan will risk losing nearly Rs 300 billion in tax revenue that the legal industry pays to the national exchequer, and 'this will further embolden the illegal cigarette industry.' Akram urged the government to prioritise the stability of its formal economic sectors, including legal tobacco manufacturers, by reinforcing enforcement mechanisms and curbing illicit trade. 'We are witnessing a shrinking market share for the legal industry, which undermines both public health goals and national revenue targets,' he said. He concluded by reaffirming ACT Alliance Pakistan's commitment to constructive policy dialogue. 'We call upon the Government of Pakistan to continue strengthening institutional capacity and to shield national policymaking from undue external influence. Tax decisions must be based on economic modeling, enforcement data, and broad stakeholder engagement rather than narratives shaped abroad. Protecting our economic decision-making space is essential to ensuring sustainable development and regulatory integrity.' Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Scoop
4 days ago
- Health
- Scoop
Commitment To End Tobacco Must Translate To Bold Actions On The Ground
Commitment to end tobacco must translate to bold actions on the ground, said Dr Tara Singh Bam. He exhorted the new government of Indonesia to sign and ratify the global tobacco treaty (formally called the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control or WHO FCTC) in the interest of the health and wellbeing of its people. FCTC is the first international legally binding corporate accountability and public health treaty of the WHO to protect people from the devastating tobacco use. It was adopted by the World Health Assembly of the WHO on 21 May 2003 and entered into force on 27 February 2005. Currently, among the countries that are part of the United Nations, except 14, all of them have ratified the FCTC. Among the 14 countries that have not yet become a part of the global tobacco treaty, 6 have signed but not ratified it, and 8 have not even signed it - including Indonesia. Dr Tara Singh Bam was addressing the delegates of 10th Indonesian Conference on Tobacco Control (ICTOH 2025) including Vice President of Indonesia, Minister of Health of Indonesia, and other dignitaries. Dr Bam is the Board Director of Asia Pacific Cities Alliance for Health and Development (APCAT) and serves as Asia Pacific Director (Tobacco Control), Vital Strategies. Indonesian conference was held just few days before the World No Tobacco Day 2025 and few weeks before the World Conference on Tobacco Control opens in Ireland next month. With highest male smoking rates globally in Indonesia, ratifying FCTC is an urgent priority With an Adult Smoking rate of 39%, Indonesia ranks among the top 5 countries with highest smoking rates. It also holds the dubious distinction of having 74.5% male smokers - highest in the world. It is also the only country in the Asia Pacific region that has not signed the FCTC. Dr Bam blames it on the intense influence of tobacco industry on the government. It lobbies with the government, including giving donations to political parties for their political campaigns. According to Dr Bam, in the absence of FCTC, the tobacco industry interference is all pervasive in Indonesia- at the central level, provincial level and local level. So, the first urgent thing to do is for the government to sign the FCTC in the interest of public health. Once the government ratifies the treaty, it will become mandatory for it to implement all the provisions of the treaty comprehensively, including FCTC Article 5.3, that mandates protection of public health policies from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry, and take steps to ensure that tobacco industry interference does not undermine the implementation of tobacco control measures and public policy. 'Signing FCTC is all about political leadership, commitment and action. What I have seen in Indonesia is commitment, but there is not enough action on the ground. Action also means that the government has to sign and ratify the treaty. The government has to be honest to its people. We now have a new government and hopefully it will take this issue seriously and ratify the treaty," he hoped. Bright tobacco products, dark deadly intentions The theme of World No Tobacco day 2025 theme is 'Bright Products. Dark Intentions. Unmasking the Appeal: Exposing industry tactics on tobacco and nicotine products'. Dark intentions indeed! Throughout its lifecycle, tobacco pollutes the planet and damages the health of all people. Globally, about 35 lakh hectares of farm land are destroyed to grow tobacco every year. Deforestation caused by tobacco farming is estimated at 2 lakh hectares annually. Sustainable food production in poor and middle-income nations is jeopardised where tobacco is grown as a commercial crop. Tobacco use is one of the biggest (and yet entirely preventable) risk factors for major non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases (such as heart diseases and stroke), cancers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and arthritis, as well as for communicable diseases like TB and COVID-19. One in six NCD deaths and 27% of TB deaths globally are attributed to tobacco use. The economic losses are staggering too. The global economic cost of tobacco use is estimated at USD 1.85 trillion annually, equivalent to approximately 1.8% of the world's GDP. These are funds that could be used by governments for education, healthcare, and social benefit schemes for the good of the common public, especially the disadvantaged communities. Burden and Impact of tobacco use in Indonesia In Indonesia too, tobacco is the leading cause of preventable deaths, claiming over 270,000 lives annually, which is about 23.3% of the total deaths. It deepens poverty and hits the most vulnerable the hardest. Tobacco use is also the biggest risk factor for TB in Indonesia which has the 2nd highest burden of TB globally. Smoking is responsible for up to 30% of Indonesia's TB burden, or 319,000 TB cases each year. All this drains the country's exchequer by over IDR 450 trillion or approximately USD 29 billion annually. And yet, the tobacco industry continues to find new ways to dole out this poison in various forms to lure youngsters and children - by way of new nicotine products like e-cigarettes and flavoured tobacco products- that are rapidly gaining ground. It is high time to focus on challenging the misleading techniques employed by the tobacco industry to make their unsafe products appealing to their victims. Silver lining Although Indonesia is yet to sign the WHO FCTC, Indonesia's Ministry of Health supports the Asia Pacific Cities Alliance for Health and Development (APCAT),which is a unique alliance of mayors and sub-national leaders from 122 cities of 12 countries. APCAT is dedicated to advance tobacco control, prevention and control of NCDs and TB in the region, among addressing other compelling health and development priorities. Several Indonesian cities are members of APCAT, including Bogor, Denpasar, Klungkung, Bandar Lampung, East Jakarta, Pekalongan, Malang, and Balikpapan. Local governments of these cities have been doing inspiring work on the ground for tobacco control since several years now which has demonstrated commendable public health impact. This includes implementing 100% smoke-free policy in all public and work places; banning tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship; building policy advocacy to raise taxes and prices on tobacco, alcohol and other harmful products; safeguarding peoples' health from tobacco industry tactics; incorporating NCD prevention programmes into primary healthcare services, among others. The way forward to #endTobacco But this is not enough. Dr Bam rightly calls upon all levels of government, parliamentarians, and stakeholders to act decisively to align the local tobacco control efforts with global standards by committing to the ratification of the WHO FCTC. He acknowledges the Presidential Regulation No. 28 of 2024 (that covers a wide range of healthcare issues, including regulations on tobacco products and steps against electronic cigarettes) as a step forward in the right direction, but thinks it is not enough for the scale of the crisis the country is facing. 'It is our shared responsibility to protect public health policies from the vested interests of the tobacco companies. Both national and local governments must ensure that all tobacco control policies are developed and implemented, free from tobacco industry influence. The tools, the science, and the evidence are in our hands. What we need now is political will and courageous leadership," he said. Shobha Shukla – CNS (Citizen News Service) (Shobha Shukla is the award-winning founding Managing Editor and Executive Director of CNS (Citizen News Service) and is a feminist, health and development justice advocate. She is a former senior Physics faculty of prestigious Loreto Convent College and current Coordinator of Asia Pacific Regional Media Alliance for Health and Development (APCAT Media) and Chairperson of Global AMR Media Alliance (GAMA received AMR One Health Emerging Leaders and Outstanding Talents Award 2024). She also coordinates SHE & Rights initiative (Sexual health with equity & rights). Follow her on Twitter @shobha1shukla or read her writings here
