On May 31, the World Health Organization (WHO) marks World No Tobacco Day by focusing on the tobacco industry’s tactics to attract younger audiences, particularly children and teenagers. This year’s theme, “Unmasking Appeal,” sheds light on how tobacco and nicotine companies repackage their products to maintain relevance amid tightening regulations.
According to WHO statistics, smoking causes over seven million deaths annually, with approximately 1.6 million of those being non-smokers exposed to secondhand smoke. Furthermore, nearly half of all tobacco users are likely to die prematurely from smoking-related diseases.
Governments worldwide are implementing laws to restrict tobacco sales and reduce smoking prevalence. However, manufacturers are devising new marketing strategies to retain existing customers and attract new ones.
WHO officials assert that the industry is essentially “repackaging addiction” to appeal to youth through innovative designs, flavors, and social media marketing. Many modern nicotine products are crafted to resemble accessories or gadgets rather than traditional tobacco items. Popular marketing features include:
- Exotic flavors like “watermelon,” “mango,” and “bubble gum”;
- Neon colors;
- Compact designs;
- Promotions via social media platforms, including TikTok and Instagram.
Regulators in Europe and the United States have criticized vaping companies for their products’ popularity among teenagers. In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration has repeatedly fined companies for selling flavored e-cigarettes.
Industry Adaptation
Philip Morris International, one of the largest tobacco firms, has shifted its focus to heated tobacco systems like IQOS and flavored sticks following the UK’s ban on capsule cigarettes in 2020. The EU’s prohibition of menthol cigarettes that year provided an opportunity for the company to transition smokers to IQOS products. Reports from The Bureau of Investigative Journalism indicated that the company’s UK management aimed to boost flavored stick sales for IQOS by 400% after the menthol ban.
As a result, while capsule cigarettes disappeared from shelves, consumers were offered “smoke-free” alternatives, with IQOS marketed as a “technological” product rather than conventional tobacco.
Philip Morris has invested billions in developing alternatives to cigarettes due to stricter regulations and declining interest in traditional smoking. In 2019, the company launched influencer marketing campaigns in various countries, designating influencers as brand ambassadors, although these promotions were later halted.
By 2017, IQOS sales had become a significant revenue stream for Philip Morris, contributing billions to the company’s earnings and beginning to displace traditional cigarettes in certain markets.
Ukraine’s Legislative Changes
On July 11, 2023, Ukraine enacted a ban on the production and import of cigarettes and rolling tobacco with characteristic flavors, along with restrictions on e-cigarettes and flavored liquids. Until July 11, 2024, the sale of remaining stock was permitted, after which the ban would fully apply to retail sales.
However, the law does not extend these restrictions to heated tobacco products, such as flavored sticks for systems like IQOS and glo, creating a “grey area” where capsule cigarettes and flavored e-cigarettes have vanished from legal sales, while flavored sticks remain available. Philip Morris has stated that this regulation “does not apply to sticks for heated tobacco systems.”
This grey area prompted the introduction of legislative proposal No. 9227 to the Ukrainian Parliament in April 2023. This bill aims to align Ukrainian law with the European Tobacco Products Directive (2014/40/EU) and expand restrictions on new tobacco products, including heated tobacco products. The proposal has yet to be reviewed.
In 2025, Ukraine’s Ministry of Health reported a 20-year decline in cigarette smoking among teenagers, yet approximately one in five adolescents still uses e-cigarettes. According to the NGO “Life,” the tobacco industry continues to evolve, changing its face but not its goal: to ensnare the youth.
- 45% of Ukrainians aged 18-29 currently use tobacco or nicotine products.
- 75% of young people aged 18-29 are exposed to tobacco and nicotine advertising.
- Over 100,000 Ukrainians die each year from tobacco-related diseases.
Global Anti-Smoking Initiatives
In the United Kingdom, the “Tobacco and Vapes Bill” received royal assent on April 29, 2026, prohibiting tobacco sales to anyone born on or after January 1, 2009, effectively creating a “smoke-free generation” model.
Australia has implemented standardized packaging for tobacco products, eliminating brand colors, logos, and appealing designs. These requirements apply to the appearance and packaging of tobacco items.
In Canada, the Ministry of Health mandated that, starting in 2023, tobacco manufacturers ensure that at least 75% of cigarette packaging displays health warnings about tobacco harm, along with a national quitline number and website.
Singapore has also required “design-free packaging” for all tobacco products since 2020, including graphic health warnings occupying 75% of the front and back of packaging.
Tobacco and nicotine products are addictive and can lead to severe health issues and premature death. The WHO classifies nicotine addiction as a mental and behavioral disorder.
World No Tobacco Day 2023 emphasizes the tobacco industry's marketing strategies targeting youth, particularly through flavored products and social media. As governments implement stricter regulations, companies adapt by promoting alternatives like heated tobacco products, raising concerns about ongoing youth addiction.