World No Tobacco Day 2025
Tempting flavors. Bright colors. Deceptive product design.
Much global progress has been made in reducing tobacco use, but we still need to unmask the appeal to counteract the tactics of the tobacco industry.
Access IGTC’s World No Tobacco Day collection of research, videos, and other shareable resources to help support a healthier present and future:
Share the evidence.
Access a selection of our findings on the strategies used by the tobacco industry to make their harmful products enticing, especially to young people:
E-cigarette product packages in Indonesia are using marketing appeals that are potentially attractive to youth, justifying the need for policies and implementation/enforcement actions that protect youth. Examine the evidence in our new fact sheet.
Tobacco industry documents have revealed the companies’ knowledge of a similar young adult market across countries in terms of attitudes and lifestyle aspirations, and similar marketing tactics have been observed across different jurisdictions. Two studies analyze how youth perceive these tactics, capturing data through focus group discussions, voiced in their own words:
Findings from a mixed-methods study conducted in Mexico City in collaboration with the National Institute of Public Health (INSP) showed that cigarette pack color is a key feature to increase appeal, communicate the addition of flavor, and influence perceptions of harm among adolescents in Mexico City. A secondary analysis of focus group studies conducted among youth in Mexico and the Philippines examined young adults' perceptions of flavored cigarette packs, including those containing flavor capsules. The common perceptions and tactics seen across different cultures is noteworthy.
Addressing cigarette and e-cigarette use in China is key to reducing the global tobacco epidemic. Marketing exposure is one causal factor for adolescent smoking and e-cigarette use. Currently, China restricts cigarette and e-cigarette ads in public places and online; however, there may not be full policy compliance. A recent study collected real-time data in the natural environment to estimate how much and where Chinese adolescents—a group susceptible to smoking and e-cigarette use—are exposed to cigarette and e-cigarette marketing, to inform policy responses.
Three separate studies were conducted to examine various digital marketing strategies employed by companies on their brand websites to promote e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTPs) online in China, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
The world’s largest multinational tobacco companies are using consistent strategies to advertise cigarettes to children in 42 majority low- and middle-income countries. Documented in a video and published reports, a surveillance study conducted in partnership with the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids underscores the opportunity for stronger laws and enforcement to protect kids worldwide.
Since 2020, the Vaping and Patterns of E-Cigarette Use Research (VAPER) Study has collected detailed information about the most commonly used devices and liquids by U.S. adults who frequently use e-cigarettes, along with related use behaviors and use of other tobacco products. The data from this longitudinal cohort study can surface trends that may indicate benefits or unintended consequences of current or potential regulations. The study also provides information to inform the development of future regulations. Explore the many publications and presentations based on results from this study.