Despite millions of deaths being lost to tobacco smoking annually, the tobacco industry continues to employ strategies to make these products attractive, especially towards a younger audience
DR.GAURAV HALDANKAR
My family and I stepped into a renowned beachside restaurant in Goa last week; the salty breeze and rhythmic sounds of the waves outside promised a delightful evening. However, the moment we crossed its threshold, instead of the expected aroma of tantalising cuisine, we were met with the heavy, lingering smoke of hukkahs and e-cigarettes filling the air. The experience was a poignant reminder of the changing dynamics of tobacco use in Goa, especially in relation to World No-Tobacco Day observed on May 31 every year.
My thoughts drifted to the evolution of humanity’s relationship with tobacco—from the Mayans of Central America using tobacco smoke in sacred rituals, to its narcotic effects being embraced by Native Americans, and later the Spaniards spreading its cultivation and trade across continents. Today, vast corporations capitalise on this addiction; promoting cigarettes and electronic nicotine delivery systems as symbols of modernity and style, despite the undeniable harm they inflict on global health.
Indeed, tobacco smoking claims over eight million lives annually—more than HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria combined. This tragic number includes 1.2 million deaths from second-hand smoke exposure. Shockingly, over 80% of the world’s 1.3 billion tobacco users live in low- and middle-income countries.
According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) 2016–2017, 32.8% of adults (18–69 years) use tobacco daily. Smokeless tobacco (SLT) use is at 21.4%, double the smoking rate of 10.7%. As per National Family Health Survey 5 in Goa, there were 25.5% of men and women aged 15–49 who used tobacco in any form. It was seen that from GATS 1 to GATS 2 (2016–17), the prevalence of smoking in Goa had decreased by 0.6%. However, the decrease was not significant, and it gets trickier when we consider that there is no substantial data available on the level of e-cigarette use, which has increased substantially.
Our country spends $3.6 billion USD annually on treating tobacco-related illnesses. While the public is generally aware of the connection between tobacco use and lung cancer, there is less awareness of its other severe health consequences. These include strokes, heart diseases, lung diseases, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
It is often argued that smoking is a personal choice and that individuals have the autonomy to make their own decisions. However, nicotine, the active ingredient in tobacco, plays a crucial role in this matter. Nicotine hijacks the brain›s reward centres, making it challenging for individuals to envision life without its lingering presence. It is to be noted that the delivery agents of nicotine contain hundreds of chemicals which in turn cause irreversible bodily harm.
Considering this, India has taken significant steps to combat tobacco use. Starting with the Cigarettes Act of 1975, which required health warnings on cigarette packs, followed by the comprehensive COTPA Act of 2003 regulating all forms of tobacco products, the government has enacted several laws. In 2004, India signed the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), committing to strategies for reducing tobacco demand and supply. The National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP), launched in 2007–2008, raised awareness, enforced COTPA, supported cessation efforts, and implemented WHO FCTC measures.
However, one of the primary public health challenges today is the appeal of tobacco, nicotine, and related products, particularly to young audiences. The tobacco industry consistently seeks ways to make these products attractive by adding flavours and other agents that alter their smell, taste, or appearance. These additives are intended to mask the harshness of tobacco, increasing its palatability among young people.
In this light, the The WHO theme for the 2025 World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) is significant – ‘Unmasking the Appeal: Exposing Industry Tactics on Tobacco and Nicotine Products.’
Some of the strategies employed by the industry include:
• Marketing: Designs, colours, and flavours are used to attract a younger demographic, including through digital media channels.
• Product designs: Some products resemble sweets, candies, and even cartoon characters.
• Coolants and additives: These can make the experience smoother, potentially increasing the likelihood of continued use and reducing the chance of quitting.
Adding to their appeal, the presence of nicotine deepens consumer dependency, making them even harder to resist. Moreover, stealth vaping devices, designed to be discreet and easy to hide from parents and teachers, enable young users to conceal their habits, further fueling the industry’s reach into adolescent demographics.
Globally, governments are grappling with how to control the rapidly growing use of vaping products by young people. Measures such as restricting retail supply, implementing educational campaigns, regulating products and greater enforcement of laws are all important components of a comprehensive approach to address the issue. Given the tobacco and vaping industry’s concerted efforts to block and weaken public health policy, manipulate the public narrative and target their addictive products at vulnerable young people, identifying and eliminating commercial influences must be included within a comprehensive approach to reduce tobacco uptake.
Besides this, individuals can educate themselves on media literacy, seek out diverse sources of information, critically evaluate the tobacco propaganda and expose the nexus of addiction.
(The writer is a senior psychiatrist at North Goa District Hospital, Mapusa)
