Latest WHO report: Heated tobacco products least attractive to young people

(Dan Tri) - The latest report by the World Health Organization (WHO) Tobacco Regulation Working Group (TobReg) helps governments better understand the nature of each new tobacco product, including its appeal to young people.

General picture of the youth appeal of tobacco products

On November 14, WHO published the 10th TobReg report analyzing the scientific and technical basis of popular tobacco and other nicotine-containing products[1].

Accordingly, in the table comparing the attractiveness of tobacco products to young people, the research team compared 11 product groups - from cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, non-smoking tobacco, shisha... to nicotine-free lozenges - based on characteristics of design, flavor, shape, and convenience of use.

The results showed that TLNN had the least attractive features, with 2/6 criteria including flavor and flavor additives, which were also features of all 10 other products.

TobReg also defines TLNN as a tobacco product that produces vapor containing nicotine from tobacco and other chemicals. Meanwhile, cigarettes, cigars, hand-rolled tobacco, and pipes account for 3/6 criteria including flavor, convenience of use, and flavoring additives that help increase the rate of initiation of use.

In particular, TLĐT meets all 6/6 criteria to be attractive to young people, including the top concerns of current management agencies, such as design allowing discreet use, model simulating candy or toy items, and especially no tobacco leaves, which can easily be mistaken for "less toxic".

WHO report published that TLNN has the least attractive factors for young people of all nicotine-containing products. Source: WHO[2]

In addition to the latest technical announcement on the youth appeal of TLĐT, TLNN and other tobacco products, since the 8th Conference of the Parties (COP8) of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) in 2018[3], WHO has recommended that countries manage TLNN according to their tobacco control policies. However, this management is also accompanied by monitoring and tightening of marketing and advertising activities, in order to reduce the popularity of new tobacco products.

In the latest WHO Guidelines of June 2025, on the basis of protecting young people, the agency still does not mention banning TLNN, although it recommends banning TLĐT.

Distinguish the level of danger of each product

Determining the level of harm of each product type helps regulatory agencies to be more vigilant about each product type, instead of assuming the risk level is the same.

At the discussion session in the group on the Investment Law (amended) on November 11, delegate Nguyen Lan Hieu, Director of Hanoi Medical University Hospital (Binh Dinh delegation) emphasized that electronic cigarettes are much more dangerous than non-smoked cigarettes - which are essentially still shredded tobacco.

According to him, the principle of TLĐT is completely different, it is not tobacco but a solution so it is difficult to control the ingredients inside. At that time, the seller can arbitrarily add addictive substances, even liquid drugs. In particular, these products are designed to be eye-catching and stylish so they easily attract young people.

In fact, it is also noted that the users of electronic cigarettes and electronic cigarettes are completely different. At the seminar "Preventing smuggling of tobacco products: Appropriate policy solutions" in 2024, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Minh Tien - Economic Police Department, Hanoi City Police - said that the users of electronic cigarettes are mainly adults with stable income. Moreover, portable electronic cigarettes are expensive, up to 4-5 million VND/box, making it difficult for young people to access the product.

On the contrary, he stated that electronic cigarettes are the product that is most likely to attract young people because of their significantly lower price. Actual data shows that electronic cigarette cases recorded by the police pose a danger to the community as there are many cases of electronic cigarettes being mixed with prohibited substances such as marijuana[4].

The 2024 “National Survey on the Prevalence of New Generation Tobacco Use among Youth” report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that the rate of American youth using new generation tobacco products is below 0.8%, significantly lower than that of e-cigarettes and cigarettes[5].

CDC data shows that the rate of heated tobacco use among American youth is just under 0.8%. Source: CDC

After allowing the commercialization of TLNN since 2019, a number of states in the US have applied preferential tax policies for this product compared to traditional cigarettes, to encourage smokers to switch to reduce medical burden and limit health harm.

Accordingly, the state of Mississippi has reduced the tax on TLNN to 1.25 cents/cigarette from 2024, to encourage users to switch to less harmful products. Recently, from November 1, 2025, the state of Alabama also reduced the tax on TLNN to 1.7 cents/cigarette, based on the view that this product produces significantly lower levels of toxic substances than cigarettes. According to Governor Kay Ivey, this policy helps reduce the level of exposure to harmful substances, although TLNN is not completely harmless.

Besides the US, a number of other countries also apply preferential tax policies for FDI, such as Japan, New Zealand, Germany, Italy, Israel, Indonesia, Philippines...

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/kinh-doanh/bao-cao-moi-nhat-cua-who-thuoc-la-nung-nong-kem-hap-dan-gioi-tre-nhat-20251128172134044.htm