Peering through tobacco’s smokescreen: young people fight for clarity and freedom

"It's really important for my generation to feel like they're fighting for something, like they're part of a trend, they're part of a movement. And we see that this works."

So says youth leader Karina Mocanu, who oversees a group of young people dedicated to improving tobacco control in Europe. The European Network for Smoking and Tobacco Prevention (ENSP) launched ENSPNext, the group that Karina coordinates, in response to an alarming rise in tobacco use among youth in Europe.

The group aims to help young people recognize the manipulative tactics used by an industry keen to exploit them and foster a lifelong nicotine addiction.

"When you're addicted to something, you aren't free to do whatever you want because you depend on a product and need to spend money on that product," Karina points out. "It isn't cool to consume, it's a trap. We aim to empower young people to take back their freedom."

Karina also believes that her generation needs to understand that, in fighting against the tobacco industry, they are also contributing to a good cause.

"Tobacco impacts so many aspects of our lives and there are so many reasons for which we need to fight," she explains when asked about what motivates her. "These include impacts on our mental health and the environment, issues of poverty and food insecurity, alongside health effects and industry manipulation. I really believe that tobacco is not a niche sector at all."

A history of deception

Dr Raouf Alebshehy is Managing Editor of Tobacco Tactics, part of the Tobacco Control Research Group at the University of Bath in the United Kingdom. Highlighting the need to inform young people about the tobacco industry's dirty tactics, he details how the industry has influenced the narrative around tobacco from as far back as the 1950s by funding research results favourable to their products and using their own science to address policy-makers.

"There was a time when tobacco advertisements shamelessly claimed that tobacco is not harmful. Over decades, the industry pushed against the proven facts: that tobacco is harmful and addictive, tobacco causes cancer, second-hand smoking is harmful, and tobacco control measures are effective and absolutely needed," Dr Alebshehy explains.

"The industry is always keeping track of the latest public health developments and working to undermine the public health narrative."

Deception by the tobacco industry is documented. For example, the industry marketed light cigarettes decades ago to make them appear safer and to attract users. A court case in the United States of America forced the industry to reveal documents showing that they were aware of the dangers of nicotine addiction at the time.

In response to the tobacco epidemic, the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) came into force in 2005, containing evidence-based measures to protect present and future generations from the harmful effects of tobacco. Sales of cigarettes started to slide.

Dr Alebshehy details how the industry responded to these new pressures with a different set of tactics. He points out that studies show that 9 out of 10 tobacco smokers start before the age of 18, which clarifies why the tobacco industry now targets young people with marketing: so they start smoking as early as possible.

Controlling the narrative

Dr Alebshehy continues, "The industry started targeting youth by sponsoring attractive events like Formula One and integrating smoking into movies and Netflix shows, and on social media. They know that if you see a message several times in different places, it becomes normalized, and you might be affected."

He notes that, while cigarette sales are starting to decline in some countries, the increasing trend for heated tobacco products and e-cigarettes, especially among young people, is very alarming.

"The industry is now pushing the narrative that they are moving towards a 'smoke-free' world, and they are funding organizations to promote this, but meanwhile they are still expanding," he emphasizes.

"They seize every opportunity to increase their profits by hooking in new nicotine users and expanding the market. To this end, they are investing in producing new, addictive products including water pipes, snus, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products."

Dr Alebshehy points to the tobacco industry's attempts to interfere at this year's Conference of the Parties (COP10), which is the governing body of the WHO FCTC. Karina highlights that COP10 took young people into consideration at a higher level for the first time.

"Within my community, we are all unhappy with the slow pace at which the authorities act," she says. "I see that there are rarely concrete, proactive measures initiated by those in charge, and almost always delayed reactions to the damage already caused by different actors."

Karina adds, "Even though the numbers of young people involved in this field are still small, we want to continue to encourage young researchers to research tobacco control, so we can produce our own evidence and base our advocacy actions on that. We should not be a passive generation."

Environmental activism

Karina has experience of how the latest tobacco industry tactics are impacting young consumers. She says disposable tobacco and nicotine products are ubiquitous on the platforms they see and marketed directly at them. For example, even though the addition of menthol, along with its cooling properties, has been banned from tobacco products in Europe since 2020, the market has been flooded with novel tobacco and nicotine products that make use of bright colours and flavours designed to broaden their appeal.

"These products smell like perfume or like something you would eat. Influencers on social media are promoting e-cigarettes that are super slim and stylish and will match your outfit. Nicotine pouches are tiny and come in a range of appealing colours and designs to fit neatly in your bag. These are the things that attract children and young people, not the product itself."

Since tobacco not only harms human health but also damages our environment, Karina believes that an effective way to fight this marketing is for the tobacco control sector to engage with environmental activists. She says while talking about tobacco's health effects on teenagers as individuals has a limited impact, information about how tobacco is polluting the planet resonates loudly with Generation Z.

"During negotiations for the United Nations treaty on plastic control, our community advocated for a ban on cigarette butts on the basis that they contain plastic and are statistically the most littering thing on the planet. Similarly, disposable tobacco and nicotine products will soon be banned in France and Belgium, mainly on the basis that they pollute the planet. Focusing on the links between tobacco and the health of the world is crucial," she insists.

"It might take years or even decades to see the damage we are doing to our own health, but at least we can clearly see the effects of climate change in the present moment. I think that's a good enough reason to act now."

Focusing on change

Another way to make an impact on the younger generation, Karina feels, is to teach them to take action against consumerism generally and to live in a more holistic, balanced way. She is hopeful that the latest internet trends appear to show more young people becoming aware of what happens around them and trying to act.

"Educating yourself is important. Learn to be in a bar or at the shops without having to consume everything. Tobacco and nicotine products are not a cool way of life, and neither is alcohol. It's cool to be healthy and to feel good," she says.

"People should also understand that tobacco control is not just a sector for experts and it's not only about developing studies," Karina continues. "I'm trying to involve my family, my little sister. It's about everyone creating platforms, including researchers and academics, to create synergies and change the narrative."

However, while delivering information and reaching audiences matters, Karina thinks that teaching young people the skills to search for trustworthy information themselves is even more crucial.

"What I think is important with my generation is just to encourage critical thinking and to provide some guidance on how to navigate online information effectively. Tell them, 'Look, if you're not sure about something, do your own research and a good way to do this is by searching for independent and reliable resources such as WHO.'"

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