Unmasking the digital appeal of tobacco and nicotine products

The theme of this year's World No Tobacco Day 2026, "Unmasking the Appeal: Countering Nicotine and Tobacco Addiction", is both timely and urgent.

Around the world, the tobacco industry is aggressively adopting new and deceptive strategies to recruit the next generation of consumers, particularly young people.

Among the most powerful tools being used today are online platforms and social media, which have become central to the industry's promotional tactics.

Over the years, the tobacco industry has continuously adapted its marketing strategies to changing communication environments.

As restrictions on traditional tobacco advertising increased and public awareness about the harmful effects of smoking grew, tobacco companies shifted their focus towards digital media.

According to the article "Big Tobacco Tries to Influence Public Opinion Online" published by STOP — Stopping Tobacco Organizations and Products — social media has become a major avenue for the tobacco industry to normalise nicotine use, shape public opinion and influence policy discussions.

Companies producing cigarettes, e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products and nicotine pouches are actively using platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and X, formerly Twitter, to promote their products.

Their campaigns are carefully designed with modern visuals, fashionable branding and youth-oriented content that present nicotine products as trendy, harmless and socially acceptable.

Public health advocates argue that these digital marketing strategies are intentionally crafted to attract young users and weaken tobacco control efforts globally.

One of the most alarming concerns is the increasing exposure of children and teenagers to tobacco-related content online.

Unlike traditional tobacco advertising, which is regulated in many countries, social media marketing spreads rapidly across borders and remains difficult to monitor effectively.

Tobacco companies and their affiliated promoters use influencers, sponsored posts, entertainment-style videos, lifestyle photography, online challenges and branded content to indirectly advertise nicotine products.

These tactics make vaping devices and other tobacco products appear fashionable and aspirational to young audiences.

A similar trend is increasingly visible across South Asia, including in Bangladesh.

Online promotion of tobacco and nicotine products has expanded drastically, often beyond regulatory control.

The industry has identified digital platforms as the easiest and most effective way to influence young people.

In recent years, tobacco and nicotine products have become common elements in dramas, movies, web series, podcasts and entertainment content.

The use of these products is often portrayed as a way to express emotions, stress, confidence or social status.

Such portrayals gradually normalise tobacco use among young viewers, who are the primary consumers of digital entertainment content.

Beyond direct product promotion, the tobacco industry is also using online platforms to influence public policy debates.

Various online polls, petitions and campaigns are being promoted in favour of so-called "less harmful" nicotine products in an attempt to shape policymaking processes.

At the same time, tobacco-linked companies and promoters are organising youth-focused events such as music concerts, lifestyle campaigns, podcasts and talk shows, where influencers are often seen using e-cigarettes or similar products openly.

These activities contribute to making nicotine products appear glamorous, modern and socially acceptable to the younger generation.

Another major concern is the industry's promotion of new nicotine and tobacco products as "less harmful" or "harm reduction" alternatives.

Such messaging can be highly misleading.

By repeatedly marketing these products as safer options, the tobacco industry is helping normalise nicotine addiction while reducing the perception of health risks among young people.

In reality, nicotine remains highly addictive, and the long-term health impacts of many emerging products are still not fully understood.

To counter these growing challenges, stronger monitoring, awareness-building and enforcement measures are urgently needed.

Governments, public health organisations, civil society groups and media platforms must work together to identify and expose deceptive tobacco marketing strategies.

Generating evidence on online promotional activities and documenting industry interference are also essential to protecting public health.

As this year's World No Tobacco Day theme rightly emphasises, the appeal created by the tobacco industry is carefully manufactured and deeply misleading.

Unmasking these tactics is critical to preventing a new generation from becoming addicted to deadly tobacco and nicotine products.