WHO calls for immediate ban on flavoured tobacco

Islamabad : On World No Tobacco Day, the World Health Organisation (WHO) launched a publication and called on governments to urgently ban all flavours in tobacco and nicotine products—including cigarettes, pouches, hookahs, and e-cigarettes—to protect youth from addiction and disease.

According to WHO, flavours like menthol, bubble gum, and cotton candy mask the harshness of tobacco and nicotine, turning toxic products into youth-friendly bait. Flavours not only make quitting harder but have also been linked to serious lung diseases. Cigarettes, which still kill up to half of their users, also come in flavours or can have flavours added.

“Flavours are fuelling a new wave of addiction and should be banned,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO.

“They undermine decades of progress in tobacco control. Without bold action, the global tobacco epidemic—already killing around eight million people each year—will continue to be driven by addiction dressed up with appealing flavours.”

The publication, Flavour Accessories in Tobacco Products Enhance Attractiveness and Appeal, reveals how flavours and accessories like capsule filters and click-on drops are marketed to bypass regulations and hook new users.

Currently, over 50 countries have banned flavoured tobacco; more than 40 have disallowed e-cigarette sales; five have specifically banned disposables; and seven have imposed bans on e-cigarette flavours. However, flavour accessories remain largely unregulated. Countries such as Belgium, Denmark, and Lithuania are taking action, and WHO urges others to follow suit.

“We are watching a generation get hooked on nicotine through gummy bear-flavoured pouches and rainbow-coloured vapes,” said Dr Rüdiger Krech, WHO Director of Health Promotion. “This isn’t innovation—it’s manipulation. And we must stop it.”

The WHO also stated that tobacco products, including heated tobacco products, expose users to cancer-causing chemicals and should be strictly regulated.