Marlboro maker accused of ‘exploiting’ young people with new global ad campaign

Youth advocates from around the world are joining the call for Formula 1 to ban all tobacco sponsorships and stop helping Big Tobacco peddle addiction to kids.

Jonas Brothers -- brought to you by the world’s largest tobacco company?! The Jonas Brothers of Disney fame are taking the stage in Mexico this weekend for a crowd aged three and up at a festival sponsored by ZYN nicotine pouches.

The FDA’s new tobacco enforcement guidance is a gift to Big Tobacco, allowing illegal e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches to remain on the market without full scientific review and authorization.

Thank you to everyone who joined us last week for the 2026 Youth Advocates of the Year Awards! It was a powerful evening celebrating young leaders and public health advocates from the U.S. and around the world who are helping build a healthier, more equitable future for all.

A major victory for kids and public health: The Oregon Supreme Court has upheld Washington County’s law ending the sale of flavored tobacco products. Flavored products fuel youth tobacco use, and local communities must be able to act to protect kids.

What an unforgettable evening celebrating the passion and impact of young leaders and public health champions around the world! ✨ We’re so inspired by all our honorees at the 2026 Youth Advocates of the Year Awards, including our Champion Award recipient, former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy.

Thank you to all the sponsors of our 2026 Youth Advocates of the Year Awards. Your support helps make this event possible and strengthens the impactful work of our inspiring honorees around the world.

Today is our 2026 Youth Advocates of the Year Awards! We look forward to gathering with advocates, partners and supporters as we honor young leaders and public health champions from the U.S. and around the world. Swipe to see this year’s honorees and celebrate their incredible impact.

We’re looking forward to our 2026 Youth Advocates of the Year Awards tomorrow at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.

We’re thrilled to announce that we will present our 2026 Barrie Fiske National Youth Advocate of the Year Award to Breanna Cutright of Clarksburg, West Virginia.

Students from across North Carolina advocated at the state Capitol this week to raise the tobacco sale age to 21 and require tobacco retailer licensing. They shared how e-cigarette and nicotine pouch use is widespread at schools, and how tobacco companies lure kids with fruit and candy flavors.

We’re proud to announce that Diego Rodríguez Sendoya of Uruguay will receive the 2026 Judy Wilkenfeld Award for International Tobacco Control Excellence.

Join us on May 7 at the National Portrait Gallery & Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, D.C. for our 2026 Youth Advocates of the Year Awards, honoring extraordinary young leaders and public health champions from the U.S. and around the world.

A new report by the Government Accountability Office finds that the federal government continues to fall short in cracking down on the thousands of illegal e-cigarette products on the market.

How low can Big Tobacco go? At the recent Formula 1 race in Japan, little kids wore race suits featuring the Zyn nicotine pouch logo while meeting their driver heroes—imagery shared on F1’s official social media platforms and viewed by millions of followers.

We’re excited by @truthinitiative.bsky.social's new Outsmart Nicotine campaign that highlights how young people are using a wide range of tobacco products – including e-cigarettes, cigarettes and nicotine pouches – and how they can get free quitting support through EX Program.

We’re thrilled to recognize Judy Cortes Delos Reyes of the Philippines as our 2026 Global Young Ambassador of the Year. Judy is a passionate tobacco control advocate who has mobilized young people and parents to take action on youth e-cigarette use.

In a positive step for public health, a federal judge has refused to dismiss a lawsuit filed by 19 states and DC to block mass layoffs at the Department of Health and Human Services and its agencies, including the CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health and the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products.

It's #TakeDownTobacco National Day of Action! ⚡️ Tobacco companies are aggressively marketing deadly and addictive products while raking in billions of dollars in profits.

The cigarette smoking rate among U.S. adults fell to a historic low of 9.9% in 2024, down sharply from a high of 42.4% in 1965. Vox calls it “the most successful health campaign in modern history.” But this battle is far from over.

🎉 Just a few days to go! #TakeDownTobacco National Day of Action is happening April 1. Join young advocates and communities across the country as we expose Big Tobacco. Keep an eye out for updates at: www.takedowntobacco.org/day-of-action

We’re excited to announce that we will present the 2026 Global Health Advocacy Changemaker Award to Alejandra Leal of Mexico.

Philip Morris International claims they market their Zyn nicotine pouches only to adult tobacco users. billboardphilippines.com/culture/bill...

Great news: West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey has signed into law legislation allocating $2.9 million of the state’s Juul settlement funds toward tobacco prevention programs. westvirginiawatch.com/2026/03/20/m...

Joined by Governor Josh Green and other officials, dozens of Hawai’i youth rallied at the State Capitol in Honolulu this week as part of our #TakeDownTobacco National Day of Action.

We’re thrilled to announce that we will present our 2026 Champion Award to Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, the 19th and 21st Surgeon General of the United States.

Formula 1 shouldn’t be a vehicle for promoting harmful and addictive tobacco products to kids. As the sport works to expand its young fanbase, tobacco companies are sponsoring F1 cars and drivers to market nicotine pouches to millions of young people around the world.

🌍🚭 This #InternationalWomensDay, we celebrate the women across the globe who challenge the power of the tobacco industry and stand up for healthier communities.

Tobacco giants Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco claim they don’t market to kids, yet they’re sponsoring popular Formula 1 racing teams that reach millions of young fans. www.reuters.com/sports/formu...

Today we are joining more than 160 organizations in calling on F1 to end its relationships with tobacco companies and ban sponsorships for all tobacco products, including nicotine pouches.

This week marks the 36th anniversary of a landmark federal law that made all U.S. domestic airline flights smoke-free – the result of incredible leadership by Sen. Dick Durbin, brave flight attendants and many others.

“Big Tobacco is targeting us, through flavors, vapes and marketing designed to hook kids before they even realize what the risks are,” Cutright, of Harrison County, told the crowd.

Registration for #TakeDownTobacco National Day of Action is officially live!  Plan and register your event to Take Down Tobacco during the days leading up to — and on — our National Day of Action on April 1, 2026.

For every $12 the tobacco industry spends marketing its deadly products… States spend just $1 on tobacco prevention and cessation. States collect $21.7 BILLION from tobacco taxes and legal settlements – but spend only $728.6 MILLION to protect kids and help adult smokers quit.

Tobacco tax increases are a win-win for states – a health win that will reduce tobacco use and save lives and a revenue win that can help fund tobacco prevention and other lifesaving public health programs.

U.S. House and Senate Appropriations Committee leaders have taken a critical step to protect public health and save lives by reaching bipartisan agreement on an FY 2026 funding package that includes level funding for the CDC’s tobacco prevention and control program.

Advocacy is about partnership, patience and policies rooted in science. Yolonda Richardson, CEO of @tobaccofreekids.bsky.social and Mary-Ann Etiebet, CEO of @vitalstrategies.org, share what it takes to achieve sustainable public health change. Watch the event at https://vitalstrat.org/4986yqi

As 2025 comes to a close, there’s still time to make a year-end, tax-deductible gift to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids! Every donation fuels our advocacy that protects kids, saves lives and creates a healthier and more equitable future for all. Make your impact here: tobaccofreekids.org/donate

We’re proud to present our 2025 Annual Report.

This Giving Season, your generosity can help protect kids and save lives. Every gift fuels our work to create a healthier, more equitable future for all. Get started: tobaccofreekids.org/donate

Philip Morris International claims they don’t market their Zyn nicotine pouches to kids, but their actions continue to show otherwise. The latest example: Zyn is being promoted through music sponsorships with Rolling Stone that no doubt appeal to young people. www.rollingstone.co.uk/music/how-zy...

Philip Morris International claims they don’t market their Zyn nicotine pouches to kids. So why is Zyn sponsoring a Formula One race car despite F1’s well-documented efforts to expand its youth audience and F1’s partnership with youth-oriented brands like Disney, Lego and Hot Wheels?

Thank you!   
Because of your generosity on Giving Tuesday, we are better equipped to fight for policies that protect kids and save lives.   
Your support drives meaningful change — and we’re grateful for every single contribution.

#GivingTuesday is here! Kick off the day with a gift that helps us protect kids and save lives in the United States and around the world. No matter the amount, your contribution drives essential advocacy to create a healthier future. Give today: tobaccofreekids.org/donate

Tomorrow’s the day! As Giving Tuesday approaches, we’re getting ready to power another year of lifesaving advocacy. Your support strengthens our fight to protect kids and save lives in the United States and around the world.

Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃    Today and every day, we’re grateful for all our supporters and partners who work alongside us to protect kids, improve health and save lives.  Together, we are creating a healthier and more equitable future for all.

An undeniable statement from #COP11: "Youth are not just targets. We are experts, advocates, and innovators driving effective tobacco control." See the essential moments, public actions, and key encounters of COP11’s youth ambassadors in this powerful recap. #FCTCSavesLives

As families head to the theaters or cozy up for a holiday movie night, a new report from Truth Initiative & NORC at the University of Chicago raises the alarm about the entertainment industry’s ongoing role in normalizing nicotine use among youth and young adults through tobacco imagery in movies.

One week to go! Giving Tuesday is almost here, and your generosity can help protect kids and save lives. Every gift — no matter the amount — fuels our work to create a healthier, more equitable future for all. Get started: tobaccofreekids.org/donate