Every year on May 31st, World No Tobacco Day highlights the dangers of tobacco use, exposes harmful business practices of tobacco companies, and empowers individuals to claim their right to health and protect future generations. This year's theme, "Protecting children from tobacco industry interference," addresses how the industry targets youth for profits, creating a new wave of addiction. Globally, children are using electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) at higher rates than adults in all regions, with an estimated 37 million youth aged 13-15 years using tobacco. World No Tobacco Day 2024 will give a platform to young people worldwide to urge governments to shield them from predatory tobacco marketing tactics.
Breaking the Smoke Screen: Thailand's Youth Confront the E-Cigarette Epidemic
In Thailand, a troubling trend is rising among the youth—the growing popularity of e-cigarettes and vaping , driven by aggressive marketing and appealing designs. A sharp rise in e-cigarette use was observed among Thai school-aged children (13-15 years), with prevalence increasing from 3.35% in 2015 to 17.6% in 2022, despite the sale of e-cigarettes being banned in Thailand. Children and young people are aggressively targeted through marketing that relies heavily on social media and influencers. E-cigarettes are portrayed as cool, with attractive colors and appealing names, and come in 16,000 unique flavors, which are particularly attractive to young people and play a key role in product use initiation.
E-cigarettes, despite being marketed as safer alternatives to regular cigarettes, contain harmful chemicals like nicotine, flavors, and other additives that pose significant health risks. They are linked to increased risks of lung disorders, nicotine poisoning, and negative cardiovascular effects. Nicotine being highly addictive and particularly harmful to the developing brains of children and adolescents. The exposure to emissions also poses risks to bystanders.
Youth Voices: Testimonies from the Ground
Amid the rising tide of e-cigarette use among Thai youth, the pervasive influence of strategic marketing is unmistakably clear, drawing in young minds with vibrant colors and innovative designs. Phattaramon Keson, a 17-year-old student from Banthadindeng School in Kanchanaburi, articulates her concerns: "Currently, it's mainly the youth involved with electronic cigarettes. They are drawn to them because of their colorful and appealing designs."
The attraction of e-cigarettes is further fueled by aggressive and often misleading online advertising, which normalizes these products among young people and cleverly associates them with a trendy and rebellious lifestyle, increasing their appeal to impressionable teenagers. Warawut Sanrun, also from the same school, adds, "The other students, especially those in middle and high school, are curious and eager to try these products. The widespread availability, mainly through the internet, are misleading advertisements that make e-cigarettes seem harmless, which is far from the truth."
Katatee Kookchai, a 16-year-old from Nawaminthrachinuthit Satriwittaya Phutthamonthon School, criticizes the precision-targeted branding strategies, noting, "The branding of these products is specifically designed to appeal to us, the youth. It creates a dangerous curiosity and leads to addiction among my peers." This targeted marketing normalizes the experimentation with these harmful products among young people. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines marketing as any action that promotes a product or service and aims to increase its recognition, appeal, or consumption. Thus, flavors, colorful designs, influencer endorsements, and misleading health claims are all considered e-cigarette marketing tactics.
The pervasive influence of tobacco products in youth culture, particularly through platforms like TikTok, raises significant societal concerns. This normalization by social media embeds e-cigarettes into the fabric of youth culture, making their use seem both trendy and acceptable. Nicharee Aree, from the same school, notes, "E-cigarettes are all over social networks, showcasing how companies target us because they know we are easily influenced." Aggressive online advertising fuels e-cigarettes' appeal by falsely associating them with a trendy and rebellious lifestyle. This trend highlights the urgent need to protect young people from the tobacco industry's manipulative tactics through increased awareness and proactive interventions.
Clearing the Air: Unmasking the Normalization of E-Cigarettes Among Thai Youth
The visible use of e-cigarettes in public starkly contrasts with the more concealed use of traditional cigarettes, indicating a troubling trend of broad acceptance among peers that diminishes the perceived risks. Dr. Chanetnan Kittithorn, a recent graduate from Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, notes the normalization among teenagers: "I see my friends openly using e-cigarettes at dining tables and even in cars, with no attempt to hide it due to its widespread acceptance." This open display of e-cigarette use underscores the need for immediate action to counteract the normalization of vaping and raise awareness about its potential harms among young people.
Concluding Perspectives: A Call to Sustain the Fight
Dr Jos Vandelaer, WHO Representative to Thailand, calls for vigilance and action, "The tobacco industry's strategies are cunning and pervasive. We must educate our youth about these dangers and fortify our policies to prevent these industries from influencing our health systems. Urgent measures are necessary to control e-cigarettes to protect children as well as non-smokers and minimize health harms to the population. In Thailand, where the sale of e-cigarettes is banned, it is crucial to strengthen the implementation of this ban and continue its monitoring. The government must protect public policies from the lobbying of tobacco and e-cigarette industries."
This year’s World No Tobacco Day campaign, by exposing the tobacco industry's deceptive practices and the real dangers of e-cigarettes, aims to empower Thai youth to resist the lure of smoking and vaping. WHO urge all stakeholders—readers, parents, educators, policymakers—to unite in this fight, support anti-smoking campaigns, advocate for strict regulations, and educate communities to protect our youth and secure a smoke-free future.
Act now. Protect our future. Stop the lies.
Check out what Thai youths say about e-cigarettes on our Playlist