27 May 2024:
The World Health Organization (WHO), has officially launched the “Stop the lies” campaign as a vital initiative to protect young people from the tobacco industry and their deadly products, by calling for an end to tobacco industry interference in health policy.
This campaign is supported by new evidence from “The Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2023”, published by STOP and the Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control, which shows that efforts to protect health policy from increased tobacco industry interference have deteriorated around the world.
This year WNTD 2024 theme is “Protecting children from Tobacco Industry Interference. WHO’s campaign aims to amplify youth voices, expose tobacco industry tactics and increase public awareness on the need to defend health policies and protect the health of future generations.
Youth groups around the world called on countries to “…adopt decisions that shield us from the manipulative practices of tobacco and related industries.”
“WHO stands with young people globally who have demanded governments protect them against a deadly industry that targets them with new harmful products while outright lying about the health impacts. We call on all countries to safeguard health policies from this deadly industry by not letting them have a seat at the policy-making table,” said Dr Ruediger Krech, Director of Health Promotion, WHO.
Actions to protect children
–empower the Youth
–expose industry tactics
–raise public awareness
–enforce tobacco control policies, and
–advocate for stronger regulations
