With about 8 million tobacco-related deaths annually, the World Health Organization has called on governments to ban all flavours in tobacco and nicotine products, including cigarettes, pouches, hookahs and e-cigarettes, to protect the youth from getting addicted.
“Flavours like menthol, bubble gum and cotton candy are masking the harshness of tobacco and nicotine products turning toxic products into youth-friendly bait,” the WHO said on World No Tobacco Day. “Flavours not only make it harder to quit but have also been linked to serious lung diseases, the UN health agency said, adding “cigarettes, which still kill up to half of their users, also come in flavours or can have flavours added to them.”
“Flavours are fuelling a new wave of addiction, and should be banned,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General adding that it undermined decades of progress in tobacco control. “Without bold action, the global tobacco epidemic, already killing around 8 million people each year, will continue to be driven by addiction dressed up with appealing flavours,” he said.
In a publication launched by the agency, the WHO said, flavour accessories in tobacco products “enhance attractiveness and appeal …flavours and accessories like capsule filters and click-on drops are marketed to bypass regulations and hook new users.”
At present, over 50 countries ban flavoured tobacco; more than 40 countries ban e-cigarette sales; five specifically ban disposables and seven ban e-cigarette flavours; and flavour accessories remain largely unregulated, it said.
Taking action
Countries such as Belgium, Denmark, and Lithuania are taking action, the WHO said, urging others to follow.
“Flavours are a leading reason why young people try tobacco and nicotine products. Paired with flashy packaging and social media-driven marketing, they’ve increased the appeal of nicotine pouches, heated tobacco, and disposable vapes into addictive and harmful products, which aggressively target young people,” the agency said.
“We are watching a generation get hooked on nicotine through gummy bear-flavoured pouches and rainbow-coloured vapes,” said Dr Rüdiger Krech, WHO Director of Health Promotion, adding “This isn’t innovation, it’s manipulation. And we must stop it.”
The WHO further reiterated that tobacco products, including heated tobacco products, expose users to cancer-causing chemicals and should be strictly regulated.
Published on May 30, 2025