Bright Products, Dark Intentions: 45% of Youth Use Tobacco and Nicotine Products, What Should the State Do?

On May 7, 2025, at the Ukrinform news agency, the Advocacy Center «Life», together with the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS), held a press conference: «Bright Products, Dark Intentions: 45% of Youth Use Tobacco and Nicotine Products, What Should the State Do?» . During the event, the results of two nationwide surveys were presented: one on the use of tobacco and nicotine products among the adult population, and another on attitudes towards heating tobacco products.

 

What do the surveys demonstrate?

 

The survey conducted by KIIS as part of their regular OMNIBUS in February-March 2025 demonstrates a renewed negative trend of increasing tobacco and nicotine consumption. Currently, 31% of Ukrainians use tobacco or nicotine products: 27% daily and 4% occasionally. The consumption of tobacco or nicotine products is traditionally more prevalent among men than women: 41% and 16% respectively.

The most significant increase in tobacco and nicotine consumption was recorded among young people aged 18-29 – 45% (compared to 33% in 2024). This indicates that youth remains the primary target audience for the tobacco industry’s efforts. One of the factors contributing to the rise in tobacco and nicotine consumption is the aggressive promotion of heated tobacco products (HTPs) and electronic cigarettes. Among young smokers aged 18-29, 37% use heated tobacco products, and 39% use electronic cigarettes.

«This year’s study revealed a concerning fact – every fifth (21%) current consumer of tobacco and nicotine products uses 2 or 3 types of products. The highest incidence of multiple consumption is concentrated among young people aged 18-29 – 45% (23% of consumers use two types of products, and 22% use three). The most common combination is cigarettes and HTPs. This may indicate that the emergence and promotion of novel tobacco and nicotine products are causing the consumption of multiple products simultaneously», emphasized Viktoriya Zakhozhа, Deputy General Director of the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology.

 

Impact of tobacco industry marketing tactics

 

The high level of tobacco product consumption, particularly HTPs, among young people correlates with indicators of the tobacco industry’s marketing tactics’ influence. According to the KIIS survey «Consumption and attitudes towards heated tobacco products», 43% of Ukrainians are exposed to HTP advertising, with this figure reaching 75% among young people aged 18-29.

The most common places where Ukrainians of all ages notice HTP advertising are points of sale and the internet. Young people aged 18-29 are most exposed to online advertising – 59%.

 

The majority of respondents who use HTPs use flavored products (63%), and this figure is 81% among young people aged 18-29. This indicates that flavorings are one of the factors influencing the involvement of young people in HTP consumption.

 

Furthermore, 38% of young Ukrainians aged 18-29 believe in the deceptive myth promoted by the tobacco industry that HTP consumption is less harmful than cigarette smoking.

 

Public attitude towards strengthening HTP regulation

 

The survey demonstrates absolute public support for strengthening the regulation of HTPs and their devices: 81% of Ukrainians support the implementation of pictorial health warnings on HTP and device packaging, 70% support the ban on tobacco displays at points of sale and advertising of device brands, 65% support a ban on flavored HTPs, and 70% support increasing the excise tax on HTPs to the level of cigarettes.

 

Currently, Draft Law No. 12091 is submitted for consideration to the Verkhovna Rada’s Committee on National Health, Medical Assistance and Medical Insurance. This draft law aims to protect children and youth from being drawn into the consumption of new tobacco and nicotine products. Draft Law No. 12091 was developed based on the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and implements the updates of the EU Integration Directive 2014/40/EU.

 

The adoption of Draft Law No. 12091 will contribute to the implementation of the Demographic Development Strategy until 2040, approved by the Government of Ukraine, as tobacco use is one of the main risk factors for numerous diseases, loss of working capacity, disability, and premature mortality. Annually, over 100,000 Ukrainians die from diseases caused by tobacco use, which, in the context of a demographic crisis, poses a threat to national security and the preservation of human capital.

«Thanks to continuous consumption monitoring, we see that new tobacco and nicotine products are not a means of quitting traditional smoking, but rather contribute to involving children and youth in nicotine addiction and even to the simultaneous consumption of several products. These trends could become a huge burden on Ukraine’s healthcare system and lead to a deepening of the demographic crisis. The public, not affiliated with the tobacco industry, is a partner of the state in protecting youth from being drawn into nicotine use», emphasized Dmytro Kupyra, Executive Director of the Advocacy Center «Life».

Bright products – dark intentions. Protect youth from tobacco traps

 

At the press conference, the launch of the national information campaign «Bright Products – Dark Intentions. Protect Youth from Tobacco and Nicotine Traps», developed in cooperation with the Advocacy Center «Life» and the Public Health Center, was announced. The information campaign aims to highlight the problem of the tobacco epidemic among Ukrainian youth and expose the “traps” of the tobacco industry, which must be eliminated at the legislative level.

 

The information campaign is timed to coincide with WHO World No Tobacco Day, which Ukraine and the world observe annually on May 31st, and aligns with the Demographic Development Strategy until 2040.

«The survey demonstrates that the tobacco industry is actively engaging youth in nicotine addiction by employing various marketing strategies: from developing new products to promoting misleading myths about reduced harm. Nicotine use is a disease that poses a threat to human life and health. Our state must protect children and youth from being drawn into smoking, as well as inform the public about the real harm caused by any tobacco and nicotine products. That is why, together with the Advocacy Center «Life», we are launching an information campaign aimed at informing young people about the traps of emerging tobacco and nicotine products», summarized Oleksandr Yurchenko, Deputy Director General of the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine.

 

 

• Report: “Use of Tobacco and Nicotine Products: February–March 2025″

• Report: “Consumption and Attitudes Toward Heated Tobacco Products in Ukraine”

• Infographic: “Use of Tobacco and Nicotine Products in Ukraine (Current Users)”

• Infographic: “Use of Tobacco and Nicotine Products in Ukraine (Daily Users)”

• Infographic: “How the Tobacco Industry Attracts Youth to Use Heated Tobacco Products”

 

 

For contact information: Olha Masna, Media Coordinator of the Advocacy Center «Life», +380-73-089-65- 70, olha.masna@center-life.org