Tobacco industry warns experts on targeting African youth as a new market

The tobacco industry has set its sights on Africa, exploiting regulatory loopholes and targeting the rapidly growing youth population of new nicotine products.

The warning was sent by Professor Lekan Ayo-Yusuf, president of the School of Health Systems and Public Health of the University of Pretoria (UP), who wrote in his inaugural speech entitled “Change Tobacco and Industry Product Innovation Gambit”.

Professor Ayo-Yusuf said the industry is actively marketing products such as e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products (HTP), snuff and other smokeless tobacco alternatives to young people in Africa, despite growing evidence of their health risks. “The dividend of Africa’s population – expected growth in the age group between 15 and 24 – makes it a major target for these products,” he said.

In his speech, he discussed his recent research that revealed that the industry’s shift to electronic nicotine delivery systems, including e-cigarettes and HTTP, is not the solution it claims, but a new approach in the battle with tobacco-related diseases.

False narratives surrounding “safer” alternatives

Professor Ayo-Yusuf’s research shows that many emerging tobacco products still pose great health risks despite being sold to reduce harm. “Smoking even if you smoke every day, it can also produce more than 50% of the risk of coronary heart disease. Low toxic exposure does not mean there is no harm,” he explained.

He also cites recently published research that shows that South Africa’s heated tobacco products contain higher levels of cancer (the substance that causes cancer) than similar products sold elsewhere, suggesting that regulatory gaps allow for more harmful formulas.

What is even more worrying is the widespread use of snuff, a smokeless tobacco product that is often considered a safer alternative to smoking. Professor Ayo-Yusuf said: “In South Africa, local snuffs contain more cancer-causing substances than many other smokeless tobacco products we have tested.”

Unlike cigarettes that mainly cause lung cancer, snuff is significantly associated with the risk of oral, esophageal and pancreatic cancer. Despite these risks, it remains widely used due to cultural and social norms, especially among women and older populations.

Professor Ayo-Yusuf’s research also shows that e-cigarettes can actually reduce the long-term quit rate and increase the dependence of nicotine instead of helping South African smokers quit.

“The use of e-cigarettes reduces long-term quitting smoking [and] Exit intention, [and] Increases recurrence of smoking and nicotine dependence. Dual use, individuals smoke in traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes, which is becoming increasingly common. Many users are not completely replacing cigarettes, but are addicted to both products. ”

Africa Target

Professor Ayo-Yusuf stressed that the young population in Africa is increasingly vulnerable to the industry’s active marketing strategies. His co-authored South African study found that vape stores are strategically located near higher education institutions rather than communities that have traditionally had high smoking rates.

“If it’s really driven by public health rather than profits, this so-called harm reduction should be targeted at a high smoking rate attitude,” he said.

He also debunked the claim that tobacco-reducing harm strategies adopted by using the electronic nicotine delivery system (End) are effective, he said that there are more and more public health than those in countries that effectively regulate access such as Uganda and Brazil, such as Australia or banned e-cigarettes.

“It’s clear that the so-called “harm reduction” narrative in South Africa is a business strategy, not a public health strategy.”

Industry intervention and policy reform

A major theme in Professor Ayo-Yusuf’s speech was the ongoing disruption of the tobacco industry in public health policy. He draws from global case studies to illustrate how industries that profit from health-damaged products, including tobacco, powdered sugar beverages and superprocessed foods, can use similar strategies to stall regulation and maintain market control.

In South Africa, industry-funded reports have been used to challenge measures such as tobacco taxes and ordinary packaging laws. “Increasing tobacco taxes is the most effective policy to reduce tobacco use and save lives, while bringing in large amounts of government revenue. However, increasing taxes remains the least measure implemented,” he noted.

He called for stronger international cooperation and governance to address industry influence, especially in light of the upcoming trade agreements, tobacco companies can use trade agreements to bypass national regulations.

The road to smoke-free Africa

Professor Ayo-Yusuf called for stronger policy interventions to increase taxation on tobacco products, while addressing crimes related to the illicit tobacco trade and comprehensive monitoring of new and emerging nicotine delivery systems.

His research led to the establishment of the African Tobacco Industry Monitoring and Policy Research Center (ATIM). The center is a hub of interdisciplinary research and advocacy and provides policy makers with the evidence needed to strengthen tobacco control efforts across the continent.

“The fight against the tobacco epidemic is not just about regulating cigarettes,” concluded Professor Ayo-Yusuf. “It’s about exposing industry strategies, ending regulatory loopholes, and ensuring that public health policies are based on science rather than corporate interests.”