Today, May 31, marks World No Tobacco Day 2026, an annual global health campaign led by the World Health Organization (WHO). This year’s theme, “Unmasking the Appeal – Countering Nicotine and Tobacco Addiction,” highlights global efforts to expose how tobacco and nicotine products are designed and marketed to sustain addiction, particularly among young people. The campaign is also being promoted under the hashtag #TobaccoExposed.
The WHO says the focus this year is on revealing the strategies used by the tobacco and nicotine industry, including flavoured products, attractive packaging, and digital marketing tactics that continue to appeal to adolescents and young adults. These approaches, the organization warns, are contributing to a growing burden of nicotine addiction worldwide.
The campaign also raises concern about the increasing normalization of e-cigarettes and other nicotine delivery products, which are often marketed as safer alternatives despite ongoing public health risks. WHO has called for stronger regulation, stricter advertising controls, and expanded access to cessation support services.
World No Tobacco Day, established in 1987, is observed annually to highlight the health, social, and economic consequences of tobacco use. The WHO estimates that tobacco use kills more than eight million people globally each year, including deaths linked to second-hand smoke exposure.
Health authorities and advocacy groups are expected to intensify awareness efforts today, urging smokers to quit and encouraging governments to strengthen tobacco control policies in line with global health targets.
Source: World Health Organization (WHO) – World No Tobacco Day
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