"Stop the Lies" Campaign Takes Aim At Tobacco Industry Tactics

In a bid to shield young people from the insidious influence of the tobacco industry, the World Health Organization (WHO) has officially launched the "Stop the Lies" campaign.

Today we know that tobacco causes 25% of all cancers and kills over 8 million people each year, but the industry persists in marketing what they call ‘new’ and ‘safer’ products. | Source: WHO

This crucial initiative seeks to bring an end to the tobacco industry's interference in health policy, as highlighted by evidence from "The Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2023," published by STOP and the Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control.

The campaign, rallying against the deteriorating efforts worldwide to protect health policy from increased tobacco industry interference, aims to amplify youth voices, expose industry tactics, and raise public awareness about defending health policies.

Youth groups globally are calling on countries to adopt decisions that shield them from the manipulative practices of the tobacco industry.

Dr. Ruediger Krech, Director of Health Promotion at WHO, emphasizes the need for countries to safeguard health policies from the deadly industry, stating, "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."

The tobacco industry employs various tactics to interfere with countries' right to protect public health, including legal challenges, financial incentives, and influencing tobacco control policies.

WHO supports countries in defending evidence-based tobacco control measures and urges policymakers to resist tobacco industry influence.

The campaign sheds light on the industry's ongoing deception, utilizing front groups, social media influencers, sponsored events, biased research, and corporate social responsibility initiatives to spread misinformation.

Despite overwhelming evidence linking tobacco to health issues, the industry persists in marketing "new" and "safer" products while producing trillions of cigarettes annually.

With half of all tobacco users dying prematurely, the industry heavily relies on recruiting new, young users. Menthol and flavored products, coupled with eye-catching designs, contribute to their popularity among the younger generation.

The tobacco industry's vast lobbying efforts against control policies, coupled with funding organizations that promote its interests, inflict immeasurable harm on public health and have far-reaching consequences on the environment, mental health, and child labor.

As the "Stop the Lies" campaign gains momentum, WHO underscores the urgency of protecting future generations from the tobacco industry's deceptive practices and calls on nations to unite against this global health threat.

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