ASH Scotland is urging youth groups in Edinburgh to join the charity’s World No Tobacco Day campaign raising public awareness about the tactics of the tobacco and nicotine industries in trying to attract and retain young people as consumers of their health harming products.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has chosen ‘Unmasking the Appeal: Exposing Industry Tactics on Tobacco and Nicotine Products’ as the theme for this year’s campaign, which aims to reveal the strategies deployed by the tobacco and nicotine industries to make addictive products attractive to young people.
ASH Scotland is working to amplify the voices of youth groups and youngsters who want to speak out to stop industry marketing tactics such as using sweet and fruit flavours, sleek designs, attractive packaging and digital media campaigns to glamorise tobacco and nicotine products such as e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches.
Sheila Duffy, Chief Executive of ASH Scotland, said: “In supporting WHO’s World No Tobacco Day 2025 campaign in Scotland, we are keen to hear from children’s and youth groups in Edinburgh who want to call out industry tactics that are trying to create a new wave of addiction among the next generation.
“We encourage young people to use their voices collectively by making short videos for sharing on their youth group’s social media channels to express how they feel about being targeted by the tobacco and nicotine industries and demand action to stop the targeted marketing of addictive, health harming products at them and their friends.
“It is vital that the views of young people in Edinburgh about disreputable industry tactics geared towards maintaining substantial profits at the cost of the next generation’s health are heard loud and clear on World No Tobacco Day.”
For information about ASH Scotland’s campaign ahead of World No Tobacco Day on Saturday 31 May, visit www.ashscotland.org.uk/WNTD.
Youth clubs interested in joining the charity’s campaign can email:
