The secret's out #TobaccoExposed

Print PDF

World No Tobacco Day 2020: The secret is out

This year’s World No Tobacco Day 2020 campaign will debunk myths and expose devious tactics employed by the tobacco industry. It will provide young people with the knowledge required to easily detect industry manipulation and equip them with the tools to rebuff such tactics, thereby empowering them to stand up against them.

Every four seconds, tobacco takes another life. The tobacco industry has been hooking generations of users to nicotine and tobacco for decades by using deceptive and devious tactics. This has given rise to the global epidemic we are experiencing right now.

Over 1 billion people worldwide use tobacco.

Over 8 million people die from tobacco use or exposure to second-hand smoke every year.

So what happens next? The tobacco industry needs to replace these users. It also doesn’t hurt to pick up some new ones along the way so that the tobacco industry can keep its multi-billion dollar business alive. So what’s the latest and greatest ploy from the industry thus far?

The tobacco industry is working to convince the world that it is shifting its portfolio to a new set of products that can help drive smoking rates down. The tobacco industry and other players have introduced nicotine products that are particularly popular with children and adolescents. They are making these products attractive to them and are hooking them through different flavours, promotions, free samples, advertising, product placement in movies and TV shows, social media and influencers.

The future of this new generation is being threatened by the tobacco industry and other players.

WHO calls on all young people to join the fight to become a tobacco-free generation.