Past campaignMay 2026

Unmasking the Appeal: Youth Counter Addiction and Demand Accountability

A campaign exposing how tobacco and nicotine products are designed, marketed, and positioned to create addiction among young people, and connecting prevention with industry accountability.

About the Campaign

For World No Tobacco Day 2026, GYV connected the appeal of tobacco and nicotine products with the industry influence that allows harmful practices to continue. The campaign brought youth advocates together to examine marketing, product design and industry narratives, and to strengthen their calls for government action.

An international webinar, a youth advocacy showcase, and coordinated social media dissemination were to challenge tobacco industry interference.

Campaign Strategy

Campaign Objectives

Expose the tactics used to make tobacco and nicotine products attractive to young people.
Help youth advocates recognize and challenge tobacco industry interference.
Connect prevention of addiction with financial and legal accountability for industry harms.

Key Messages

Expose the appeal. Flavors, product design, digital promotion and lifestyle branding are tools for attracting young customers.
Challenge industry narratives. Tobacco industry claims must not determine public health policy or give the industry a role in shaping it.
Protect young people through policy. Governments must address the products and promotional practices that sustain addiction.
Hold the industry accountable. The costs of tobacco-related harm should fall on the companies responsible.

Progress & Updates

This section records campaign outputs, institutional responses, and verified developments as the campaign progresses.

May 27

Youth webinar connects prevention and accountability

The campaign webinar brought together 73 participants from 35 countries to discuss product appeal, addiction, industry interference and accountability.

May to June

Youth advocacy showcase and follow-up communication

As a follow-up to the AI Boot Camp organized in Bangkok in April, youth advocates from Indonesia, Colombia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, the United States, Egypt, Zambia and Thailand participated in Vision for Change: Global Youth Advocacy Showcase.