By Esther Ososanya
Global health groups demand financial accountability, stronger laws to counter rising nicotine products
As tobacco-related deaths climb past eight million globally each year, the World Health Organisation (WHO), along with global public health experts, is demanding decisive action from governments to counter industry influence and curb new nicotine-driven marketing strategies.
The latest WHO Tobacco Epidemic Report 2025 and discussions at the recent World Conference on Tobacco Control (WCTC) in Ireland spotlight what experts describe as a dangerous evolution of tobacco industry tactics now cloaked in innovation and digital marketing, especially across vulnerable regions like Africa.
Tobacco’s New Mask: Innovation and Tech Buzzwords
Akinbode Oluwafemi, Executive Director of Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), warned during a virtual media session that the industry’s push for newer products like e-cigarettes and heated tobacco is part of a rebranding ploy.
“You cannot call a product that causes death an innovation,” Oluwafemi said.
He raised concerns over tobacco multinationals hijacking tech language to market addictive products as safer alternatives, specifically targeting African youth with sleek advertising and cultural sponsorships.
He pointed to Philip Morris International’s recent campaign in South Africa, calling it a strategic effort to weaken that country’s efforts to strengthen its tobacco laws.
WHO: Children Are the New Target
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus reinforced these warnings, describing e-cigarettes as dangerous gateways for adolescents.
“The evidence is clear. These products are harmful, and the industry is grooming a new generation of nicotine addicts,” he said.
The report also exposed how decades-old industry interference tactics are now repackaged through social media, entertainment events, and influencer partnerships, undermining hard-won progress in tobacco control.
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Push for Global Legal Accountability
One of the strongest outcomes from the WCTC was a renewed call for legal and financial accountability. Public health coalitions now want governments to hold the tobacco industry liable not just through taxes but through compensation for environmental and health damage caused by decades of manipulation.
Despite 183 countries ratifying the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), advocates say implementation has been slow, especially in low- and middle-income countries where regulation is often weak or underfunded.
Experts Call for Policy Shields and Inter-Ministerial Action
Health lawyer Daniel Dorado Torres, who leads tobacco campaigns at Corporate Accountability, described the industry’s shift toward so-called “harm reduction” as nothing more than vertical control where the same companies profit from both the addiction and its supposed solution.
“They are not transforming. They are expanding control from cigarettes to vapes and now into digital ‘wellness’ markets,” Dorado said.
Meanwhile, Dr Tara Singh Bam of the Asia Pacific Cities Alliance for Health and Development (APCAT) emphasised that tobacco control is no longer a task for health ministries alone.
“To truly #EndTobacco, governments must collaborate across sectors – finance, education, youth, and law enforcement – and set bold, enforceable targets,” he said.
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Media’s Role and the Global South’s Urgency
Journalists Kalpana Acharya and Ram Prasad Neupane from Nepal shared insights on how investigative reporting has exposed industry lobbying in policy circles. They called for stronger global media engagement to unmask similar tactics in other regions.
Africa and parts of Asia, experts warned, remain prime targets for tobacco multinationals due to less aggressive regulation and rising youth populations.
Final Message: Time to Make Big Tobacco Pay
Public health voices around the world are aligned on one thing: the time for soft warnings is over.
Governments are being urged to move from policy promises to punitive action, including enforceable laws, legal compensation, and restrictions on new product marketing.
“If we are serious about saving lives”, Oluwafemi said, “then we must make Big Tobacco pay not just financially, but through systemic resistance.”
Esther Ososanya is an investigative journalist with Pinnacle Daily, reporting across health, business, environment, metro, Fct and crime. Known for her bold, empathetic storytelling, she uncovers hidden truths, challenges broken systems, and gives voice to overlooked Nigerians. Her work drives national conversations and demands accountability one powerful story at a time.