The World Health Organization (WHO) accused tobacco companies of trying to get a new generation addicted to nicotine and continued to actively target the youth market through social media, sports events, music festivals and products with different flavors.
    Reuters reported that WHO said that in the face of increasingly stringent regulatory measures, large tobacco companies and new entrants have begun to offer alternative products, such as e-cigarettes. Tobacco industry players said that these cigarette alternatives are aimed at adult smokers.
    But the WHO and the global tobacco industry regulator (STOP) issued a joint report on Thursday (May 23), stating that these alternative products are usually targeted at the youth market, and the design and fruity flavors are attractive to children and young people in many countries, and they are more likely to use these products.
 
  WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus refuted the claim that tobacco companies are working to reduce the harm of smoking. He called the tobacco companies "hypocritical."

"It is hypocritical for tobacco companies to talk about reducing the harm of smoking while marketing tobacco products to children," Tedros said in the report.

  The WHO has taken an increasingly tough stance on new nicotine products after a sharp increase in the number of teenagers using e-cigarettes in some countries. The WHO said different flavors such as bubble gum are one of the driving factors for this growth. Industry insiders say different flavors are an important tool to encourage adults to quit smoking.

  Large tobacco companies mostly avoid such flavored products, but the WHO said large tobacco companies, including Philip Morris International Inc (PMI) and British American Tobacco, target the youth market through sponsorship of music festivals and sports events and social media. PMI is the world‘s largest tobacco company.

The WHO said these events and social media provide tobacco companies with platforms to promote their brands and use them to provide free samples to young people.

  Both PMI and BAT say their goal is to gradually wean smokers off cigarettes. BAT added that it follows responsible marketing principles and ensures its products are only for adults.

PMI said scientifically proven alternatives to cigarettes must be part of good tobacco policy and it was ready to engage with any government and the WHO on the issue.

  WHO said there was insufficient evidence to show that e-cigarettes could help people quit smoking. WHO also said there was evidence that e-cigarettes increased the use of traditional cigarettes, especially among young people.
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