AS the world marks World No Tobacco Day 2026, public health experts have warned that rising nicotine addiction, particularly among young people, could undermine global gains in tobacco control.
The experts raised concerns that the tobacco epidemic is increasingly driven by a surge in newer nicotine products such as e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches and heated tobacco devices, which are aggressively marketed to young people.
Their warning comes as the World Health Organisation reports that tobacco kills more than seven million people yearly, including about 1.6 million non-smokers who are exposed to second-hand smoke.
Michael Olarewaju, a public health expert at Gwarinpa General Hospital in Abuja, said the growing trend poses a major threat to public health and requires urgent regulatory action.
Olarewaju also noted the tobacco epidemic is no longer driven only by conventional cigarettes but increasingly by newer nicotine products such as e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches and heated tobacco products, many of which are being marketed to younger users.
“Rising nicotine use among adolescents is a major public health threat that requires urgent priority attention to close regulatory gaps, enforce restrictions and ensure that young people are protected from lifelong dependence,” he said.
Recent data by the WHO reveal that tobacco use kills up to half of its users who do not quit. With about 1.3 billion people globally using tobacco, the majority, around 80 per cent, live in low- and middle-income countries.
Youth are increasingly vulnerable to nicotine addiction
WHO, in a statement marking this year’s theme, estimated that at least 40 million adolescents aged 13–15 globally use tobacco products, while about 15 million are already using e-cigarettes.
It also noted that children in some countries are up to nine times more likely than adults to vape.
The global health body noted that this year’s theme, “Unmasking the appeal – countering nicotine and tobacco addiction,” highlights growing concern over how the tobacco industry is repackaging nicotine products to attract a new generation of users.
The organisation warned that flavoured and heavily marketed nicotine products, including e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches and heated tobacco devices, are often promoted as safer alternatives, despite evidence that they still contain addictive nicotine and harmful toxic substances.
WHO said tobacco companies continue to rely on aggressive marketing strategies, including flavours, sleek packaging and digital advertising, to sustain addiction and recruit young users.
Although the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) has 183 Parties covering most of the world’s population, implementation remains uneven, particularly in enforcement of advertising bans, taxation and cessation support.
Dr Adewale Adeleye, a senior resident in the Department of Community Medicine and Public Health at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital and President of the Association of Resident Doctors, UATH, said the trend has reached an alarming level among adolescents.
He warned that nicotine exposure in adolescence affects brain development, making young people more vulnerable to addiction.
“It is neurotoxic to the neurons that support brain development,” he said, adding that it can also affect discipline, reasoning and academic performance.
The health practitioner also warned that nicotine use can affect cholesterol levels, reduce immunity and increase the risk of serious cardiovascular and organ complications.
“When nicotine enters the body, it increases bad cholesterol and reduces good cholesterol. The immune system becomes depressed, making the body prone to infections,” he said.
He added that prolonged use can lead to blood vessel constriction, which may cause stroke, kidney failure, and cardiac arrest in severe cases.
Dr Adeleye further warned that long-term nicotine use could result in dependence, with users struggling to function without it and experiencing withdrawal symptoms such as dizziness and depression.
That is not all. He insists that wider consequences extend beyond health, noting that widespread addiction among young people could reduce productivity and create long-term economic strain on families and the country.
“Even though some of these industries try to make it modern, or sew a new cloth to cover the harmful parts, or make it look harmless by giving it fancy names and making it appear fashionable, the most important thing we must understand is that even if they sew a new cloth for the epidemic of nicotine use or abuse, the purpose and harmful effects of nicotine or tobacco in the body system cannot be changed.
“Even if you look at the literature and recent statistics from the World Health Organisation, it is worrisome to see that globally about 50 million adolescents are engaging in vaping,” he said.
Speaking further, Michael Olarewaju of Gwarinpa General Hospital stressed that nicotine exposure during adolescence can heighten brain sensitivity and lead to rapid addiction. On long-term consequences, Olarewaju warned that adolescent nicotine use significantly increases the likelihood of chronic dependence and raises the risk of cardiovascular disease, chronic lung diseases and cancers later in life.
He added that nicotine can cause lasting changes in brain development, including memory impairment, and may affect reproductive health.
“Nicotine affects female fertility by impairing fallopian tube function, which increases the risk of ectopic pregnancy. In males, it can damage seminal fluid integrity, lower sperm count and reduce fertility potential. Quitting nicotine use, including e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches, remains one of the most effective ways of protecting reproductive health in both men and women,” he said.
Closing regulatory gaps
The experts further identified regulatory gaps that continue to fuel nicotine use among young people.
According to Olarewaju, many countries are yet to effectively regulate emerging products such as e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches, while aggressive social media promotion and weak age-verification systems make it easier for adolescents to access such products.
He also pointed to poor implementation of FCTC measures, including advertising bans and comprehensive product regulation.
To address the challenge, Olarewaju called for tobacco control laws to be expanded to cover all nicotine products. He also advocated banning youth-targeted marketing practices, including flavours, online advertising, online sales and influencer promotions.
Other measures, he said, include strict age-verification requirements, stronger penalties for violations, sustained public education campaigns, improved monitoring of emerging products and youth usage trends, and higher taxes on tobacco and novel nicotine products.
On his part, Adeleye warned that limiting regulation to conventional tobacco products is no longer sufficient, as new nicotine products continue to evolve in ways that appeal to young users.
“All existing legal structures should be harmonised so that we do not only focus on tobacco. We should also look at other nicotine-based products in whatever form they are packaged, whether now or in any potential products that may emerge or evolve in the future,” he said.
He also called for a ban on flavouring in nicotine products, arguing that flavours are used to mask the harmful effects of nicotine and make products more attractive to adolescents.
“The fact that there is flavour does not remove the harmful effect of the active ingredient on the body,” he said.
The expert further advocated a ban on advertising and promotional content for nicotine products across all platforms, including social media, saying such messages often mislead the public and normalise use among young people.
The medical practitioner said governments should regulate retailers through licensing and strictly prohibit the sale of nicotine products to minors, stressing the need for clear enforcement mechanisms and penalties.
This, he said, can be done through widespread public awareness campaigns in schools, religious institutions and communities to educate people on the dangers of nicotine use.
On taxation, he recommended higher excise taxes on nicotine and tobacco products as a deterrent, noting that increased prices have been proven to reduce consumption.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M