AS the world marks World No Tobacco Day 2026, public health experts have warned that rising nicotine addiction, particularly among young people, could undermine global gains in tobacco control.
The experts raised concerns that the tobacco epidemic is increasingly driven by a surge in newer nicotine products such as e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches and heated tobacco devices, which are aggressively marketed to young people.
Their warning comes as the World Health Organisation reports that tobacco kills more than seven million people yearly, including about 1.6 million non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke.
Michael Olarewaju, a public health expert at Gwarinpa General Hospital in Abuja, said the growing trend poses a major threat to public health and requires urgent regulatory action.
Olarewaju also noted the tobacco epidemic is no longer driven only by conventional cigarettes but increasingly by newer nicotine products such as e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches and heated tobacco products, many of which are being marketed to younger users.
“Rising nicotine use among adolescents is a major public health threat that requires urgent priority attention to close regulatory gaps, enforce restrictions and ensure that young people are protected from lifelong dependence,” he said.
Recent data by the WHO reveal that tobacco use kills up to half of its users who do not quit. With about 1.3 billion people globally using tobacco, the majority, around 80 per cent, live in low- and middle-income countries.
Youth are increasingly vulnerable to nicotine addiction
WHO, in a statement marking this year’s theme, estimated that at least 40 million adolescents aged 13–15 globally use tobacco products, while about 15 million are already using e-cigarettes.
It also noted that children in some countries are up to nine times more likely than adults to vape.
