Mothers Against Vaping presents a four-point strategy on World No Tobacco Day to protect children

Mumbai: In line with the theme of ‘Protecting Children from the Disruption of the Tobacco Industry’ launched by WHO (World Health Organization) on World No Tobacco Day 2024, Mothers Against Vaping, a united front of concerned mothers fighting the growing vaping crisis among our youth, has organized today event event at the Indian International Center in New Delhi. During the event titled “Saving the Next Generation from New Age Addictions,” mothers from all walks of life united under the Mothers Against Vaping initiative and pledged to protect children from the encroachment of the global tobacco industry.

During the event, Mothers Against Vaping released a 4-point agenda to counter and neutralize 5 popular alleged strategies adopted by the global tobacco industry to promote input devices to young children.

These are

1. Stakeholder education: The first point is to initiate educational campaigns targeting various stakeholders, including mothers, teachers, policy makers, as well as children. This educational initiative must highlight the harmful effects of consuming nicotine through new technology devices. Education should also highlight the potential of these devices as a gateway to more harmful substances. Once addicted to these devices, children may be lured into experimenting with even more dangerous substances such as nicotine and heroin.

2. Providing information about health risks: Healthcare professionals, especially doctors, play a key role in debunking myths and providing accurate information about the health risks of vaping. Using their knowledge and first-hand experiences, physicians can offer insights that counter the misleading narratives promoted by the tobacco industry.

Dr Rajesh Gupta, Additional Director, Pulmonary & Critical Care, Fortis Healthcare Noida, said, “There is a worrying lack of awareness among children, teenagers and even their parents regarding the dangers associated with new age vaping devices. Many people mistakenly believe that vaping only involves harmless vapors with a pleasant taste. It is very important to make them aware of the reality: these fumes contain harmful chemicals that can lead to serious lung diseases.

3. Leveraging the same marketing tools and digital spaces used by Tobacco MNCs: This should include launching effective campaigns across various digital channels, including with influencers that children admire and relate to. These campaigns can promote messages that focus on body appreciation and accepting individuality. Campaigns can encourage children to reject input devices and adopt positive behaviors such as expressing their uniqueness, which can lead to an increase in their self-esteem and self-esteem, and enable them to gain knowledge and make confident choices. Mothers and teachers should also engage effectively in these digital spaces. Policymakers should also be urged to introduce strict regulations banning the various marketing and digital tools being deployed.

4. Urging policymakers to address smuggling: By urging policymakers to prioritize anti-smuggling efforts, stakeholders can disrupt illicit supply chains and reduce access to vaping products, especially among vulnerable populations such as children and adolescents. This will also ensure that the integrity of the regulatory framework designed to control the spread of harmful substances is maintained.

Kushboo Sundar, actress and politician, specially invited by the BJP National Executive Committee and member of the National Commission for Women, and Kishwar Desai, author and columnist, joined Mothers Against Vaping and supported the cause. They join a group of athletes and role models such as Baichung Bhutia, Deepa Malik and Neha Dhupia who support Mothers Against Vaping in their efforts to eliminate the threat of vaping from the lives of children.

The support from these figures highlights the seriousness of the issue raised by Mothers Against Vaping, confirming its recognition as a key issue.

The five alleged strategies used by the global tobacco industry to promote new age devices to children are:

Focus on New Age Electronic Devices: In the case of the MNC tobacco industry, the focus has allegedly shifted towards New Age electronic devices rather than traditional tobacco products due to the fact that children, being people living in a digital environment, are eager to adopt these devices. According to a recent WHO report titled “Connecting the Next Generation,” the international tobacco industry is using alarming tactics to target children and young people. This includes designing products and launching marketing campaigns specifically tailored to attract this vulnerable demographic.

Spreading misinformation: Spreading misinformation that e-cigarettes and similar electronic devices, such as non-heating devices, are less harmful than traditional tobacco products. However, doctors and health researchers have consistently argued that e-cigarettes are not a safe alternative to traditional cigarette smoking. In fact, studies have shown that vaping or using e-cigarettes can still pose serious health risks, including serious lung damage and cardiovascular problems.

Hook children early: It is alleged that one of the most harmful strategies adopted by the global tobacco industry is to hook children early on to these modern devices. They are introducing nicotine-free products with tempting flavors such as bubble gum or cotton candy to encourage children to use them. Once addicted, they switch to nicotine-based e-cigarettes, with the goal of securing customers for life.

Digital Marketing: Digital marketing is a powerful tool to reach children by presenting these devices as cool and desirable. Through platforms such as social media, online advertising and partnerships with influencers, the tobacco industry allegedly glorifies these products, effectively popularizing them among children and adolescents.

Smuggling to Counter Rules and Regulations: To circumvent laws banning vaporizers, e-cigarettes and similar new-age devices, large tobacco companies are allegedly resorting to smuggling routes, often through countries such as China. This illegal trade not only ensures the widespread availability of vaping products, but it also exposes children to these devices at an alarming rate.

Talking about the reasons behind the growing popularity of these new age devices among children, Dr. Bhavna Barmi, clinical psychologist, founder of Happiness Studio, said: “Children’s mental states make them very susceptible to early experimentation with addictive behaviors. That’s why we’re witnessing a disturbing increase in the number of children attracted to tempting electronic addictive devices such as vaporizers and e-cigarettes. The main factor driving this trend is the packaging and advertising tactics used by the manufacturers of these modern devices.“

During the ceremony, there was an oath ceremony in which mothers participated. The oath ceremony was led by chief guests Deepa Malik, Padma Shri Khel Ratna and Arjuna awardee and distinguished member of Mothers Against Vaping. She said, “This commitment is crucial. I am deeply concerned that our children are being lured into the tactics of device manufacturers, risking a lifelong addiction not only to nicotine, but also to even more dangerous substances. It breaks my heart to see children engaging in such activities when there are much more engaging activities like sports that they can participate in and move towards a bright future and Fit India in a healthy way. We need to organize more such events and raise awareness about this pressing issue that affects our children“

We join anti-vaping mothers, Kushboo Sundar, speaking about the dangerous impact of vaping and e-cigarettes on the lives of children and young people, she said:As a nation, we are making great strides towards ensuring a bright future for our children. However, we must confront the pressing issues that plague their current reality, such as the alarming proliferation of New Age Gateway devices such as e-cigarettes and vaporizers. It is deeply disturbing to see manufacturers of such devices targeting our children in an attempt to create a future customer base for them with these temptingly elegant and sophisticated products.“

“In addition to the dangerous health risks posed to our children and young people by the use of these products, it also jeopardizes their future career prospects and hinders their potential contributions to the growth and development of our nation. To secure the future of our nation, we must also secure the future of our children. It is very important that we make every effort to eliminate the use of these illegal and prohibited devices from our society. I fully support Mothers Against Vaping in their mission to remove the influence of these addictive devices from the lives of our children,” Kushboo added.

Kishwar Desai, author and columnist who joined the event he said, “Sleek electronic devices attract children’s attention these days and they often try them out – whether it’s to look cool, satisfy their curiosity or to express themselves. But this is a dangerous path. As mothers, citizens and thought leaders, we have an obligation to hold a mirror up to them and convey that this path only leads to disaster and an unfulfilled life.“

The government has been actively taking steps to solve this problem for years. However, unscrupulous elements continue to find new ways and there is a need to strengthen the enforcement framework; A step in this direction could be a significant tightening of criminal regulations against perpetrators.