Use and adapt our campaign materials

We are developing a number of campaign materials. Versions of these materials will be available in Arabic, English and French, and can be freely downloaded as soon as they become available.

Disseminate the materials

Think about where campaign materials can be made available to reach people for whom they are intended. A few ideas are: schools, colleges and universities, health care centres, clinics, hospitals, supermarkets, leisure and social clubs, associations, places of work, places of worship, and public transport.

Organize an activity

Organizing an activity or event is a great way to raise awareness and stimulate action, both among individuals, and on a wider scale. It can help with: debunking myths and exposing devious tactics employed by the tobacco and nicotine industries; providing different audience groups with the knowledge required to easily detect industry manipulation; and equipping different audience groups with the tools they need to rebuff tobacco and nicotine industry tactics, thereby empowering them, particularly young people to stand up against these industries. If you do decide to organize an event, keep in mind the following:

What are you trying to achieve?

Who are you targeting?

What would make your target audiences want to participate?

When and where will your activity be held?

Should you join up with other organizations?

Who will you invite? Are there any well-known figures who could help you achieve your goals?

Do you have the resources to achieve your goals? If not, how can you mobilize them?

How will you promote your event?

Can the media help you achieve your goals? If so, which media should you target?

Can social media and influencers help you achieve your goals? If so, which social media channels should you target and which influencers should you engage with?

How will you share information about your activities after the event?

How will you measure success?

Examples of activities that you might want to consider are: discussion forums, sporting events, workshops for journalists, art competitions, coffee mornings, concerts, sponsored activities ̶ anything that contributes to a better understanding of tobacco control.

Think about involving your organization’s champions, especially if they are influential among those you are trying to reach.

While this is a one-year campaign, and as such, activities can be organized throughout the year, we encourage you to consider starting your activities on World No Tobacco Day, 31 May 2020. Media attention is high on this day, which can generate greater awareness.

Share information and materials on social media

Throughout the campaign, we will be communicating via our social media channels. The primary hashtag that we are using for the campaign is #TobaccoExposed. We encourage you to share our posts with your own networks, share your own materials and join discussions on issues related to the campaign.

Please note that WHO-branded materials should be used as is.

Further information

For questions on use of the materials, please send an email to Ms Nisreen Abdel Latif, WHO Communications Lead, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

If you are organizing an activity, or developing your own campaign materials, here are some facts and figures that you might want to use this year.

Overview

Over one billion people worldwide use tobacco.

Over 8 million people die from tobacco use or exposure to second-hand smoke every year.

Tobacco and nicotine industries must continuously find new customers to replace the ones that their products are killing to maintain revenue.

Nicotine products have gained popularity among children and adolescents in many countries.

Young people who use e-cigarettes are five times more likely to become regular cigarette smokers in the future.

E-cigarette use increases your risk of heart disease and lung disorders.

Nicotine in e-cigarettes is a highly addictive drug and can damage children’s developing brains.

Smoking shisha is just as harmful as other forms of tobacco use.

Smokeless doesn’t mean that it’s harmless.

Smoking is expensive, and you pay for it with your looks and your health. It causes bad breath, yellow teeth, wrinkly skin, unhealthy lungs and a poor immune system.

Shisha smoke is toxic. It contains substances that cause cancer.

Chewing tobacco can cause mouth cancer, tooth loss, brown teeth, white patches and gum disease.

The tobacco and nicotine industries prey on the world’s most vulnerable groups and threaten the future of the next generation.

Data from the Eastern Mediterranean Region

In some countries, smoking can reach 42% among boys and 31% among girls.

Young people whose parents are smokers are 50% more likely to become smokers too.

Promotional displays selling tobacco products make young people 50% more likely to become smokers.

Young people who are exposed to second-hand smoke in outdoor public places are more than twice as likely to become cigarette smokers.

Young people are three times more likely to smoke if they witness peers or teachers smoking at school, as it normalizes the behaviour.

Young people whose friends are smokers are up to 5.5 times more likely to become smokers.

Tactics of the tobacco and nicotine industries

Tobacco companies spent over 8 billion in marketing and advertising and the world lost 8 million lives from causes related to tobacco use and exposure to second-hand smoke.

The tobacco and nicotine industries use these tactics to target children and adolescents.

Over 15 000 flavours, most of which attract children and adolescents.

Social media influencers and marketing.

Sponsored events and parties.

School scholarships.

Sleek, sexy designs.

Product placement in entertainment media.

Free product samples.

Single stick cigarettes make addiction more affordable.

Selling products at eye level for children.

Product placement and advertising near schools.

We encourage everyone to become educated, spread awareness and create a tobacco-free generation.