Muscat – The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that tobacco and nicotine products are increasingly being designed to attract children and adolescents, raising concerns about a growing epidemic of nicotine addiction among young people across the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

Marking World No Tobacco Day 2026 on May 31 under the theme ‘Unmask the Appeal – Countering Tobacco and Nicotine Addiction’, WHO called for urgent action to address industry tactics that encourage tobacco and nicotine use among youth.

According to WHO, tobacco companies are using attractive flavours, eye-catching packaging and extensive digital marketing campaigns to make nicotine products more appealing to younger audiences. The organisation said these strategies are intended to normalise nicotine use, conceal health risks and create long-term addiction.

Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for Eastern Mediterranean, said the trend is the result of deliberate industry practices designed to attract young users. “These tactics are driving a growing and evolving epidemic,” she said, noting that weak regulation, enforcement gaps and persistent industry interference continue to undermine tobacco-control efforts.

WHO estimates that approximately 5.5mn children aged between 13 and 15 years in the region already use tobacco products. The agency also highlighted a sharp rise in the use of newer nicotine products, including e-cigarettes, among adolescents.

On average, young people are nine times more likely to use e-cigarettes than adults, while usage rates among adolescents in some countries have reached as high as 30%, particularly among boys.

The organisation expressed concern over the widespread exposure of young people to tobacco advertising, especially through social media and other digital platforms. Surveys in several countries indicate that more than half of young people have encountered tobacco promotion, with exposure levels reaching up to 90% in some cases.

WHO warned that without stronger implementation and enforcement of tobacco-control policies, decades of progress in reducing tobacco use could be reversed.