Youth Resolution calls for No More Tobacco in 21st Century

WE, the 74 youth delegates from 40 countries got together at the 16th World Conference on Tobacco or Health, with a vision for ‘No More Tobacco in the 21st Century’ and to identify youth-led strategies to end the use of tobacco and recommend global action points to protect present and future generations from the hazards of tobacco use. We,

  • Recognize that a majority of tobacco users begin before the age of 18 years and youth are the primary target of the tobacco industry.
  • Note with profound concern that if these tobacco trends continue, 250 million youth and children alive today will die of tobacco related diseases mostly in developing countries.
  • Acknowledge that results from GYTS show no difference in current tobacco use trends among boys and girls in 58% of the countries surveyed.

We, therefore, call upon

The Governments, international agencies, the global tobacco control community, civil society and media to take decisive action on deracinating tobacco from society now to protect the largest-ever population of youth from being exposed to the insidious tactics of the tobacco industry. We urge,

  1. Youth and tobacco control experts join forces to develop a Framework for prioritizing policies to protect youth globally and to set time-bound targets to achieve the goal of ‘NO More Tobacco in the 21st Century’.
  2. Youth across the world actively participate in monitoring and reporting tobacco industry interference and tobacco industry tactics at any level to protect themselves and youth in other countries from initiating tobacco.
  3. Youth demand protection from exposure to all new forms of tobacco products that are introduced by the tobacco industry to keep people addicted to the deadly habit.
  4. Youth to unite globally and raise their demands for full implementation of WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in all countries to positively influence the norms against tobacco use among youth.

TOGETHER WE CAN AND WE WILL ACHIEVE ‘NO MORE TOBACCO IN THE 21ST CENTURY.