The statement “youth have seen enough tobacco” is the slogan for Seen Enough Tobacco Day, an annual day of action held on October 13 in New York and led by youth members of Reality Check. It highlights the billions of dollars the tobacco industry spends on marketing, which studies show increases the likelihood of young people starting to use tobacco products. 

Despite federal regulations on tobacco advertising and sales to people under 21, the tobacco industry continues to use sophisticated and targeted marketing tactics to attract young people.

One deceitful tactic involves using appealing flavors in their products, including e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches, to attract new, young users. The vast majority of underage e-cigarette users report using flavored products, despite New York State banning flavored e-cigarettes in 2020, you can’t miss the huge window ads and neon signs in smoke shops. Young people do not have to go inside the stores to find out what they sell. The majority of these illegal flavored e-cigarettes are manufactured in China, which also brings up concerns about the lack of regulations and quality control for these products.

The tobacco industry promotes e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches as harm reduction products for current smokers to switch too, but what they do not mention is that most of these products expose the users to higher levels of nicotine than conventional cigarettes. Nicotine is a highly addictive drug, which changes how the adolescent brain develops and can cause anxiety and depression to worsen. Young people who start vaping have higher rates of smoking cigarettes and vaping cannabis as they get older.

The tobacco industry also heavily promotes e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where age restrictions aren’t closely monitored. Studies show frequent social media use is linked to a higher risk of youth starting to use tobacco products.

In stores, tobacco products are often placed in highly visible areas, like near candy displays, or promoted with price discounts that appeal to younger people. The industry uses bright, colorful imagery on packaging and has historically used branded promotional materials and sponsorships of social events to appeal to youth.

The Seen Enough Tobacco movement is part of broader anti-tobacco efforts that have been successful in reducing cigarette smoking among youth. However, the rise of new products like e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches presents a new challenge. Join the voices who have seen enough tobacco marketing and are saying something  about it — on October 13 and beyond.

For young people who want to quit vaping, they can sign up for the free texting service at Drop the Vape.