50On September 3rd, 2026 the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted Resolution No. 15127 “On the Statement of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on the Occasion of the 20th Anniversary of Ukraine’s Ratification of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control”, initiated by the Committee on National Health, Medical Care, and Health Insurance. The Resolution was supported by 269 members of parliament. The Parliament confirmed its commitment to further realising Ukraine’s international obligations in the field of tobacco control, and defined key priorities for further work to protect public health, particularly that of children and youth.
“The tobacco industry continues to search for new ways to lure in young consumers through aggressive marketing, bright packaging, and flavourings. This is precisely why the Committee submitted for review by the Parliament draft law No. 14110-d aimed at regulating nicotine pouch circulation. We propose to ban their sale to underage persons and to substantially limit advertising of such products. Protecting public health, especially that of children and youth, will remain one of the key priorities of national policy,” — noted Mykhailo Radutskyi, Head of the Committee on National Health, Medical Care, and Health Insurance.
Some of the key priorities outlined in the Statement by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine include:
- limiting the availability of tobacco and nicotine products through ongoing pricing and excise policies;
- improving legislation on government oversight and monitoring of compliance with tobacco control laws;
- implementing Directive 2014/40/EU on banning flavoured heated tobacco products;
- implementing complete and effective bans on all forms of advertising, sales promotion, and sponsoring of tobacco and nicotine products;
- strengthening measures against illicit trade, particularly by ratifying the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products;
- effectively regulating new nicotine products in order to limit young people’s access to them.
“The adopted resolution is a clearly defined vector for our nation’s further actions in effectively protecting the health of children and youth. That is because there is no such thing as safe nicotine use!” — emphasized Lada Bulakh, member of parliament of Ukraine and member of the Committee on National Health, Medical Care and Health Insurance.
One in four children in Ukraine uses tobacco or nicotine products
The epidemic of tobacco and nicotine use poses a threat to the nation’s health, particularly to children and youth, and to Ukraine’s demographic recovery.
According to data from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) presented in 2026, in Ukraine, 26% of children aged 13-15 years old use tobacco and/or nicotine products: 20% use electronic cigarettes, 7% use heated tobacco products, 3% use nicotine snus pouches. The prevalence of such products’ use in children is significantly higher than in adults.
Particularly dangerous are smokeless nicotine products which remain unregulated. Despite having been present on the Ukrainian market for nearly seven years, nicotine pouches continue to be freely sold and advertised to children. This allows for their availability and attractiveness to adolescents and youth.
A necessary step in protecting children from nicotine is adopting draft law No. 14110 that proposes a ban on nicotine pouches and regulating nicotine products, or draft law No. 14110-d that intends to regulate nicotine products at the same level as tobacco products. Both draft laws are supported by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the World Health Organization. Notably, both the MOH and WHO emphasize that the best approach to protecting public health is a complete ban on nicotine pouches.
Experience with WHO FCTC Implementation Proves: Comprehensive Tobacco Control Works
Ukraine ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control on March 15th, 2006. Since then, the government has significantly strengthened its tobacco control legislation and implemented a number of WHO FCTC provisions from its Key principles. Namely, these include:
- a ban on smoking and using tobacco and nicotine products in public spaces outlined by law and workplaces;
- a full ban on advertising, sales promotion, and sponsorship of tobacco products;
- constant increases to excise taxes on tobacco products;
- combined health warnings on cigarette packaging with an area of 65%;
- text health warnings on tobacco product and heated tobacco product packaging;
- a ban on flavoured cigarettes and liquids for electronic cigarettes;
- creation of a government service to assist in quitting tobacco and nicotine.
Combined tobacco control measures have led to a significant decrease in smoking in Ukraine. According to data from the WHO, the level of daily smoking in adults has decreased by 29% between 2006 and 2025. A similarly positive dynamic is observed in children: the prevalence of tobacco use among adolescents aged 13-15 years old has decreased by 42% from 2005 to 15% in 2017, however the push for new tobacco products has led to another increase in tobacco use in children by 18% in 2023.
“In the reality of new tobacco and nicotine products being promoted so intensely, it’s important to not allow for a rollback of the results already achieved, and to ensure effective health protection for children and youth. Further implementation of WHO FCTC measures must encompass all tobacco and nicotine products, which is a necessary step to protect the health of children and youth for Ukraine’s demographic recovery,” — emphasized Dmytro Kupyra, Program Director of the NGO “Life”.
Every year in Ukraine more than 100,000 people die of diseases caused by tobacco use. In the context of demographic challenges caused, in part, by the war, lowering tobacco and nicotine product use plays an important part in preserving human capital, the nation’s demographic recovery, and continued economic growth.
Contact info: Olha Masna, media coordinator of the NGO “Life”, +380 73 089 65 70, olha.masna@center-life.org.