Youth raise awareness of tobacco industry tricks
4 September 2024, Cairo, Egypt – On 3 September, as part of its ongoing activities to celebrate World No Tobacco Day 2024, the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean organized an event that included an exhibition of drawings by children from the Region on tobacco control and the announcement of the results of the One Voice video campaign on tobacco.
Opened by WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Hanan Balkhy, the event was attended by representatives of the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population, the League of Arab States, NGOs, anti-tobacco associations and public figures who advocate against tobacco.
During the event, Dr Balkhy presented certificates of merit to the winners of the One Voice video campaign which the Regional Office launched to encourage the participation of young people in efforts to raise awareness of the health hazards and economic problems caused by tobacco use.
In her opening remarks, Dr Balkhy underlined the importance of increasing awareness of the strategies used by the tobacco industry to target young people and encourage them to consume tobacco in all its deadly forms. She urged all partners to continue working with WHO to expose these deceptive tactics and help create a tobacco-free generation.
Dr Balkhy highlighted the need to adhere to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and urged signatory countries to implement its articles, including prohibiting the promotion of tobacco products, adopting pricing and taxation policies