The World Health Organisation has issued a strong call for governments worldwide to ban all flavours in tobacco and nicotine products, including cigarettes, e-cigarettes, pouches, and hookah pipes. 

The call, made on World No Tobacco Day, aims to protect young people from addiction and the serious health risks caused by these products.

According to a statement by the World Health Organisation, flavoured products like menthol, bubble gum, and cotton candy are making dangerous nicotine products more appealing, especially to youth. 

These flavours mask the harsh taste of tobacco, making it easier to start using them and harder to quit. 

Studies have also linked them to lung damage and other health issues.

Recently, members of the National Council called for a complete ban of hubbly bubbly, also known as hookah pipes, vapes, and other similar products, citing rising usage among schoolchildren and health concerns.

WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus says flavours are fuelling a new wave of addiction and should be banned.

This, he says, undermines decades of progress in tobacco control, and without bold action, the tobacco epidemic, which kills around 8 million people every year, will only grow. 

Currently, over 50 countries have banned flavoured tobacco, and more than 40 countries have banned the sale of e-cigarettes, while five countries have banned disposable vapes.

Seven countries have banned e-cigarette flavours. 

However, flavour accessories remain largely unregulated. 

WHO highlights Belgium, Denmark, and Lithuania as examples of countries taking strong action and encouraging others to follow.

The 2025 World No Tobacco Day campaign celebrates the efforts of governments, youth, and civil society groups who are fighting back against the tobacco industry.