On May 15, I spoke as a panelist at the World Health Organization South-East Asia Regional Webinar marking World No Tobacco Day 2026. This year’s theme, “Unmasking the appeal: countering nicotine and tobacco addiction,” spoke directly to what young people across our region are facing.
I joined the discussion as a member of the WHO South-East Asia Region Youth Council representing Sri Lanka, and as part of Youth Action Network Sri Lanka, a participating youth organization of Global Youth Voices (GYV).
Tobacco and nicotine products are not appealing by accident. Flavors, sleek packaging, digital marketing, and misleading “safer product” claims are designed to make addiction look normal, harmless, and even attractive.
The webinar brought together public health experts and leaders from across South-East Asia, including representatives from the Maldives, Thailand, and India. The discussion covered regional trends, flavor regulation, and stronger approaches to prevention.
The country experiences were powerful. Maldives shared reflections on its generational tobacco ban, a global first. Thailand spoke about resisting industry pressure while implementing its electronic cigarette ban. India shared examples of anti-tobacco youth campaigns. The discussion also covered chemical and toxicological evidence on tobacco products, reminding us that these products remain harmful no matter how they are packaged or promoted.
In my intervention, I spoke about the role of youth in preventing and controlling, and debunking myths about tobacco and nicotine products. Prevention cannot stop at telling young people that tobacco is harmful. We also need to expose how the tobacco industry works.
Young people should be able to recognize how flavors, colors, influencers, entertainment, and misleading claims are used to pull them toward addictive products. We need to build protection against these tactics early, before industry appeal becomes normalized.
In Sri Lanka, youth groups and volunteers from the Alcohol and Drug Information Centre and Youth Action Network have shown how simple and consistent action can make a difference. Through awareness-raising, advocacy, and community engagement, young people are exposing tobacco industry interference and challenging the tactics used to target their peers.
This is also the work that Global Youth Voices continues to push forward: youth-led action that demands accountability, rejects tobacco industry interference, and protects young people from products designed to addict them.
World No Tobacco Day reminded us that young people should not be left alone to resist products deliberately designed to attract them. Governments, institutions, and communities must act with urgency through stronger policies, evidence-based regulation, and protection from tobacco industry interference.
A future free from tobacco and nicotine addiction will not happen by chance. It must be built by exposing industry tactics, supporting strong public health policies, and backing young people who are already leading prevention in their communities.
Thanuri Somasiri is a youth advocate from Sri Lanka and the international communications coordinator of Youth Action Network Sri Lanka, the youth wing of the Alcohol and Drug Information Centre. Youth Action Network Sri Lanka is a participating youth organization of Global Youth Voices. Thanuri also represents Sri Lanka in the first WHO South-East Asia Region Youth Council and works on tobacco, alcohol, and drug prevention through research, advocacy, communications, and youth engagement.