Recommended action steps for stakeholders

Celebrities and social influencers

Reject offers of “brand ambassadorship” and refuse any form of sponsorship by nicotine and tobacco industries.

Social media companies

Ban advertising, promotion and sponsorship by the nicotine and tobacco industries and prohibit influencer marketing of tobacco or nicotine products.

Film, television or drama production companies

Pledge not to depict tobacco use or e-cigarette use.

Parents and relatives

Educate children and adolescents on the harms of nicotine and tobacco product use and empower them to reject industry manipulation.

Nurses and health practitioners

Provide children, adolescents, young adults and their parents, with updated information about the risks associated with use of these products and empower users to quit through the offer of brief cessation advice.

Schools

Raise awareness of the dangers of initiating nicotine and tobacco product use, adopt tobacco and e-cigarette free campuses, refuse any form of sponsorship by the nicotine and tobacco industries, and prohibit representatives from nicotine and tobacco companies from speaking at school events, school camps, etc.

Youth groups

Organize local events to engage and educate your peers and build a movement for a tobacco-free generation.

Advocate for the adoption of effective tobacco control policies in your community to curb and prevent the manipulation of nicotine and tobacco industries

National and local governments

Support the implementation of comprehensive tobacco control policies, as outlined in the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. This can help prevent industry evasion of tobacco control legislation and exploitation of regulatory loopholes, protect children and adolescents from industry manipulation and prevent younger generations from initiating nicotine and tobacco product use.

Some key policy options include:

If not banned, regulate electronic nicotine delivery systems and electronic non-nicotine delivery systems

Ban the use of flavourings attractive to youth in nicotine and tobacco products

Enact comprehensive bans on advertising, promotion and sponsorship of nicotine and tobacco products, including cross-border advertising

Emerging evidence on the link between tobacco smoking and tuberculosis deaths

Adopt large, graphic labels that warn about the health risks of nicotine and tobacco products

Offer tried and tested cessation interventions, such as brief advice from health professionals, national toll free quit lines, cessation interventions delivered via mobile text messaging is recommended, and where economically feasible, promote nicotine replacement therapies and non-nicotine pharmacotherapies for cessation

Implement and enforce policies to prevent tobacco industry lobbying and interference in tobacco control policy