Children are up to nine times more likely than adults to be attracted to new tobacco and nicotine products, making them the primary targets of industry marketing strategies, leading public health experts warned on World No Tobacco Day on Sunday.
The experts said the tobacco and nicotine industry is increasingly using flavours, sleek designs, digital promotion and other tactics to make its products appealing to young people, raising concerns about a new generation becoming addicted to nicotine.
The warning comes as the world marks this year’s World No Tobacco Day under the theme, “Unmasking the Appeal: Countering Nicotine and Tobacco Addiction”, which focuses on exposing the tactics and strategies used to make tobacco and nicotine products appear attractive, particularly to children.
Dr Shalini Singh, Director of ICMR-National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research (NICPR), said tobacco and nicotine often focus their marketing efforts on children and young adults as most users start consuming such products during adolescence or early adulthood.
“That is why the marketing tactics are designed to create curiosity, experimentation and eventually addiction,” she said on Sunday during a webinar organised by Tobacco Free India, a citizens’ initiative.
She said the challenge today extends beyond traditional tobacco products and includes newer nicotine products that are often perceived as less harmful and risky than they actually are.
Former Chief of the National Cancer Institute in Delhi, Dr Alok Thakar, said tobacco continues to impose a heavy burden on India’s health system.
“As oncologists, we witness the consequences of tobacco use every day. Many tobacco-related cancers are preventable, yet thousands of families continue to suffer because addiction often begins at a young age,” he said.
In a separate development, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the World No Tobacco Day Award 2026 for the ICMR-National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research (NICPR) in recognition of its contribution to tobacco control and cancer prevention. The award is among the highest recognitions conferred by the WHO in the field of tobacco control. (PTI)
