The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called on governments worldwide to impose an immediate ban on flavoured tobacco and nicotine products, citing growing concern over their popularity among young people.
In its latest statement, the WHO specifically highlighted flavours such as menthol, bubblegum, and cotton candy, warning that these sweet and appealing tastes are deliberately designed to attract younger users and mask the harmful nature of tobacco.
According to the organisation, such products are not only linked to serious lung diseases but also play a key role in shaping addiction patterns among children and teenagers. The sleek packaging of e-cigarettes and aggressive marketing through social media platforms further target younger audiences, making these products particularly dangerous.
Data from 2022 shows that 12.5% of minors across the WHO European Region—which includes 53 countries—reported using e-cigarettes, compared to just 2% of adults in the same region.
The WHO warned that these enticing flavours are crafted to spark curiosity among children and adolescents, encouraging experimentation that could lead to lifelong nicotine addiction. A comprehensive ban, the organisation argued, could prevent millions of young people from developing tobacco dependency.
“Flavours are fueling a new wave of addiction and must be prohibited,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO. “They undermine decades of progress in tobacco control. Without bold action, the global tobacco epidemic—which already claims the lives of nearly 8 million people every year—will remain driven by addiction wrapped in attractive flavours.”
