The Acting WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, has issued a strong message on World No Tobacco Day 2025, highlighting the growing concern over tobacco and nicotine use among children and adolescents across the continent.
Dr Ihekweazu stressed that the tobacco industry’s tactics are deliberately aimed at attracting young users, particularly through flavoured products, sleek packaging, and targeted digital marketing.
“These strategies mask the dangers of tobacco, presenting it as modern or glamorous, making it easier to start, and harder to stop,” he said.
The consequences of tobacco use are dire, with over 146,000 people dying annually from tobacco-related causes in the African Region. Dr Ihekweazu observed that more than 61 million people in the region use tobacco, with prevalence increasing among adolescents aged 13 to 15.
“Adolescents are particularly vulnerable,” Dr Ihekweazu warned. “The developing brain is more susceptible to nicotine addiction and its long-term effects, including impaired cognitive development. Early use increases the risk of chronic respiratory diseases, heart conditions, and cancer.”
To shield young people, Dr Ihekweazu called for urgent action, including banning flavours and product designs that appeal to the youth, regulating digital advertising and sponsorship on youth platforms, and ensuring product packaging does not mimic snacks or toys.
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“Protecting the next generation is both a public health priority and a moral imperative,” Dr Ihekweazu emphasised. “On this World No Tobacco Day, let us recommit to creating a tobacco-free future where every young person in Africa can grow up safe, healthy, and empowered.”
The WHO is supporting Member States in enhancing tobacco control through the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and the MPOWER package of measures.
Dr Ihekweazu urged governments, schools, families, and communities to collaborate in building environments free from tobacco exposure and influence.
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