(Bandar Seri Begawan, 31st) Brunei's Minister of Health, Dato Eshan, pointed out at the celebration of World No Tobacco Day 2025 that this year's theme is "Exposing the industry's lure of tobacco and nicotine products." Tobacco use has become one of the most severe global public health epidemics, especially spreading among adolescents. Approximately 37 million children aged 13 to 15 globally use tobacco products. Alarmingly, in some countries, the proportion of adolescents using e-cigarettes is even higher than that of adults.
He said that over the past decades, the tobacco industry has persistently taken aggressive and strategic measures to deliberately guide the public to become addicted to tobacco and nicotine products, with children and adolescents being their primary targets. In order to acquire new generations of users, tobacco companies extensively design attractive advertisements and marketing content.
This year's World No Tobacco Day theme aims to raise public awareness of the harm the tobacco industry brings to children and adolescents. Tobacco companies attract young groups through various manipulative techniques, including trendy designs, enticing flavors, colorful packaging, and advertising slogans and images that resonate with the youth. According to the World Health Organization report, there are up to 1,600 different flavored tobacco products globally, which have become a major inducement for children and adolescents to come into contact with nicotine.
Moreover, tobacco and nicotine products frequently appear in movies, TV shows, and music videos, conducting embedded advertising. These methods aim to "normalize" the related products among young groups. Tobacco companies even sponsor "influencers" with a large following on social media, indirectly influencing the consumption behavior of their followers.
Research by the World Health Organization shows that the total number of views supporting e-cigarettes and tobacco products on social platforms exceeds 3.4 billion times. The widespread penetration of social media and digital marketing allows tobacco companies to reach their target groups more deeply.
At the policy level, tobacco companies continuously resist tobacco control policies promoted by various countries, such as raising tobacco tax rates, comprehensive bans on advertising, promotion, and sponsorship. He pointed out that some national governments even face legal challenges due to this. However, praise be to Allah, Brunei Darussalam has not faced similar threats. According to data from the "Global Tobacco Control Good Governance Center," since 2021, Brunei has consistently maintained good performance in resisting tobacco industry interference, being regarded as a model country worldwide.
He emphasized that the "Brunei Tobacco Order" clearly stipulates that selling or supplying tobacco products to individuals under 18 is illegal, and individuals under 18 smoking or possessing tobacco products in public can also be prosecuted. Nevertheless, we cannot be complacent. According to the 2019 Global School-based Student Health Survey, the proportion of adolescents smoking and using e-cigarettes in Brunei is still concerning. Among them, 9.8% of adolescents smoke, with a male proportion of 15.4% and females 4.3%; and the e-cigarette use rate among adolescents aged 13 to 15 is as high as 13.3%.
"This phenomenon is worth alerting because nicotine may negatively affect the brain development of adolescents, interfere with their emotions and cognitive functions, and increase the risk of addiction. Studies show that individuals exposed to nicotine during adolescence are more likely to develop severe dependence problems in the future and find it more challenging to quit smoking while possibly being associated with emotional disorders such as depression."
He urged the younger generation in our country to resist the manipulation and influence of the tobacco industry, striving for a smoke, nicotine-free future for themselves. He quoted the teachings of the Quran, emphasizing: "Do not deliberately place yourself in danger of destruction."
Dato Ehsan also called on parents, families, educational institutions, business premises, non-governmental organizations, and society at large to bear the responsibility together and work to resist the use of tobacco and nicotine products.
He pointed out that all health centers in Brunei have established smoking cessation clinics to provide professional consultation and medication assistance for those who intend to quit smoking. He encourages the public to seek help bravely and firmly believes that "after successfully quitting smoking, health conditions will gradually improve, and the risks of various related diseases will significantly decrease."
He reiterated that the Ministry of Health welcomes continued cooperation from all sectors of society to jointly empower the younger generation to resist the false propaganda and interference of the tobacco industry and work together to make Brunei a truly smoke and nicotine-free country, creating a healthier growth environment for future generations.
He said that over the past decades, the tobacco industry has persistently taken aggressive and strategic measures to deliberately guide the public to become addicted to tobacco and nicotine products, with children and adolescents being their primary targets. In order to acquire new generations of users, tobacco companies extensively design attractive advertisements and marketing content.
This year's World No Tobacco Day theme aims to raise public awareness of the harm the tobacco industry brings to children and adolescents. Tobacco companies attract young groups through various manipulative techniques, including trendy designs, enticing flavors, colorful packaging, and advertising slogans and images that resonate with the youth. According to the World Health Organization report, there are up to 1,600 different flavored tobacco products globally, which have become a major inducement for children and adolescents to come into contact with nicotine.
Moreover, tobacco and nicotine products frequently appear in movies, TV shows, and music videos, conducting embedded advertising. These methods aim to "normalize" the related products among young groups. Tobacco companies even sponsor "influencers" with a large following on social media, indirectly influencing the consumption behavior of their followers.
Research by the World Health Organization shows that the total number of views supporting e-cigarettes and tobacco products on social platforms exceeds 3.4 billion times. The widespread penetration of social media and digital marketing allows tobacco companies to reach their target groups more deeply.
At the policy level, tobacco companies continuously resist tobacco control policies promoted by various countries, such as raising tobacco tax rates, comprehensive bans on advertising, promotion, and sponsorship. He pointed out that some national governments even face legal challenges due to this. However, praise be to Allah, Brunei Darussalam has not faced similar threats. According to data from the "Global Tobacco Control Good Governance Center," since 2021, Brunei has consistently maintained good performance in resisting tobacco industry interference, being regarded as a model country worldwide.
He emphasized that the "Brunei Tobacco Order" clearly stipulates that selling or supplying tobacco products to individuals under 18 is illegal, and individuals under 18 smoking or possessing tobacco products in public can also be prosecuted. Nevertheless, we cannot be complacent. According to the 2019 Global School-based Student Health Survey, the proportion of adolescents smoking and using e-cigarettes in Brunei is still concerning. Among them, 9.8% of adolescents smoke, with a male proportion of 15.4% and females 4.3%; and the e-cigarette use rate among adolescents aged 13 to 15 is as high as 13.3%.
"This phenomenon is worth alerting because nicotine may negatively affect the brain development of adolescents, interfere with their emotions and cognitive functions, and increase the risk of addiction. Studies show that individuals exposed to nicotine during adolescence are more likely to develop severe dependence problems in the future and find it more challenging to quit smoking while possibly being associated with emotional disorders such as depression."
He urged the younger generation in our country to resist the manipulation and influence of the tobacco industry, striving for a smoke, nicotine-free future for themselves. He quoted the teachings of the Quran, emphasizing: "Do not deliberately place yourself in danger of destruction."
Dato Ehsan also called on parents, families, educational institutions, business premises, non-governmental organizations, and society at large to bear the responsibility together and work to resist the use of tobacco and nicotine products.
He pointed out that all health centers in Brunei have established smoking cessation clinics to provide professional consultation and medication assistance for those who intend to quit smoking. He encourages the public to seek help bravely and firmly believes that "after successfully quitting smoking, health conditions will gradually improve, and the risks of various related diseases will significantly decrease."
He reiterated that the Ministry of Health welcomes continued cooperation from all sectors of society to jointly empower the younger generation to resist the false propaganda and interference of the tobacco industry and work together to make Brunei a truly smoke and nicotine-free country, creating a healthier growth environment for future generations.