World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) is celebrated yearly on 31 May and this year’s campaign focuses on the many ways the tobacco industry aggressively designs and markets nicotine and tobacco products to children and young people; literally “Hooking the next generation.” The same titled report by the World Health Organization and STOP (a global tobacco industry watchdog) explains the various tactics used by the tobacco industry that contribute to an estimated 37million children aged 13-15 years old using tobacco globally and the increasing use of e-cigarette among adolescents, which surpasses adult usage.

In fact, in the Asia Pacific region, sales of e-cigarettes are growing the fastest more than in any other as the tobacco industry continues aggressive marketing to children and young people.

Smoking devices may resemble familiar items such as a highlighter, pen, lipstick, portable gaming console, wireless earbuds, handheld two-way radio transmitter, or a toy for example.

This makes it easier to hide from parents or teachers and harder to detect what they really are.

These devices also come in pretty and attractive colours and offer the most flavours among all tobacco and nicotine products.

E-cigarettes are harmful. The most common types are electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) and electronic non-nicotine delivery systems (ENNDS), which usually contain substances such as flavours and chemicals that are harmful to the smoker’s health and by-standers who inhale the toxic vapours emitted.

These substances are poisonous, cancer-causing, can negatively affect the heart and lungs as well as cause burns. ENDS sometimes contain very high amounts of nicotine and can cause addiction, and negatively impact brain development in fetuses and in children and adolescents.

This year for WNTD celebrations, the WHO is helping young people to amplify their voices to shed light on how tobacco companies are targeting them by marketing harmful tobacco products on youth oriented social media platforms.

Young people are also calling on their governments to recognise these practices and to act with urgency to protect them by stopping the tobacco companies from targeting them and by adopting relevant policies and enacting laws.

Samoa is one of the 24 out of 37 countries and areas in the Western Pacific Region that have adopted measures that either fully or partially regulate e-cigarettes.

These include bans on the use of e-cigarettes in public areas; bans on advertising, promotion and sponsorship; requiring health warnings on packaging; age restrictions on the sale of e-cigarettes; and flavouring restrictions.1The Tobacco Control Amendment Act (No.4) passed in Samoa on 31 January 2019, amended the Tobacco Control Act of 2008. As such, in the new law electronic nicotine and non-nicotine delivery systems have now been incorporated into the definition of tobacco products, which also bans the sale of tobacco products by persons under 15 years of age, and promotional discounts and internet sales of tobacco products by manufacturers, distributors, importers or retailers. Further, a licensing system was established to regulate manufacturers, importers, distributors of tobacco products, as well as hotels and night clubs as retail units.

The Ministry of Health in commemoration of the World No Tobacco Day continues to prioritize Tobacco as part of its “Best Buys Practise” strategic approaches. The Ministry of Health together with The National Tobacco Control Committee are leading and supporting:

1)Tobacco Educational sessions as part of their Health Promotion and Education component in the noncommunicable diseases (NCD) PEN Fa’aSamoa screening currently implemented in the thirty three (33) villages and rural areas in both Upolu and Savaii;

2) Multimedia Awareness Program to raise awareness on the harmful impacts of Tobacco; and

3) Youth targeted sessions on tobacco specifically e-cigarettes.

Some of these efforts are also supported by the development partners such as the World Bank and the Australia DFAT through the Tautua Program.

The Ministry of Health is committed to addressing the high rates of smoking among young people including through strengthening legislative gaps.

Samoa continues to receive support from the WHO Convention Secretariat through the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) 2030 project to scale up its implementation of the Convention as it progresses work on tobacco control.

For more information on the WNTD campaign and e-cigarette, tobacco harms and related FAQs, visit the following webpages;

MOH Facebook page – Ministry of Health Samoa

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SOURCE – Ministry of Health Samoa

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