By Fatima Saka
The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa has raised alarm over what it describes as the deliberate engineering of nicotine addiction, warning that children and young people across the continent are increasingly being targeted by evolving tobacco industry tactics.
In a message marking World No Tobacco Day 2026, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Mohamed Yakub Janabi, stressed that nicotine addiction is not accidental but the result of calculated strategies by tobacco and nicotine companies to recruit and retain users for lifelong profit.
This year’s theme, “Unmasking the appeal – countering nicotine and tobacco addiction,” highlights how manufacturers design, package and market products to attract early use and sustain dependency, particularly among adolescents.
Dr. Janabi noted that while African countries have made significant progress over the past two decades through policies such as smoke-free laws, tobacco taxation, pictorial health warnings and cessation support, these gains are now under threat from emerging nicotine products and aggressive marketing.
“The objective of the industry remains unchanged: to recruit new users, replace those lost to quitting or death and secure lifelong profits,” he said.
He explained that modern tobacco and nicotine products are intentionally modified with additives such as flavours, menthol, sweeteners and cooling agents to mask harshness and make them more appealing, especially to first-time users. Some products also allow users to adjust nicotine levels, increasing the risk of deeper addiction without full awareness.
According to the WHO, young people are particularly vulnerable due to ongoing brain development, which makes them more susceptible to addiction. Evidence shows that nearly nine in ten adult smokers began using tobacco before the age of 18.
The Regional Director further warned that digital marketing, influencer promotions and attractive product designs are being used to normalize nicotine use and mislead young people into perceiving it as safe or fashionable.
With over 60 per cent of Africa’s population under the age of 25, he cautioned that failure to act decisively could reverse public health gains and create long-term consequences for the continent.
Dr. Janabi emphasized that no form of tobacco or non-therapeutic nicotine use is safe, including cigarettes, e-cigarettes, waterpipes, heated tobacco products and nicotine pouches. He added that even minimal consumption significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases and other health complications.
While highlighting that quitting tobacco has immediate and long-term health benefits, he stressed that prevention remains the most effective strategy.
“Nicotine addiction removes choice. Preventing children and adolescents from taking up smoking is essential to protecting their health and future,” he said.
The WHO called on governments across the African Region to strengthen regulations by banning flavours and additives, closing legal loopholes, tightening controls on product design and marketing, and considering reducing nicotine levels to non-addictive thresholds.
The organization also warned against interference by the tobacco industry in public health policymaking, urging governments to uphold transparency and adhere strictly to global tobacco control frameworks.
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Dr. Janabi concluded with a call for collective action from policymakers, civil society, educators, parents and young people to resist industry manipulation and safeguard future generations.
“Protecting Africa’s children from engineered nicotine addiction is not optional; it is a moral and public health imperative. The time to act is now,” he stated.
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