WHO: Tobacco Companies Target Youth Via Social Media, Sports and Music Festivals

A new report from the World Health Organization (WHO) says tobacco companies continue to actively target young people through social media, sports and music festivals.

While big tobacco companies say their e-cigarette products are aimed at adult smokers, WHO says these products are often marketed to youth, Reuters reports.

The design and fruity flavors of vapes appeal to children and young adults, who are more likely to use them than adults in many countries, the report says.

“History is repeating, as the tobacco industry tries to sell the same nicotine to our children in different packaging,” Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said in a news release. “These industries are actively targeting schools, children and young people with new products that are essentially a candy-flavored trap. How can they talk about harm reduction when they are marketing these dangerous, highly-addictive products to children?”