The 11th Nicotine Conference, held at the Barmelweid Clinic in Switzerland under the motto ATEM UND WANDEL – BREATHE FOR CHANGE, brought together experts from clinical practice, public health, and policy to address the evolving nicotine landscape. The discussions highlighted the growing complexity of nicotine products, the need for stronger prevention approaches, and the importance of cross-sector collaboration to protect population health.
In his keynote speech, José Luis Castro, WHO Director-General’s Special Envoy for Chronic Respiratory Diseases, warned against the rapid normalisation of new nicotine products, particularly among young people.
He highlighted the shift from a single-product landscape to a diverse and fast-evolving market of nicotine products, designed to be attractive, customizable, and difficult to regulate. He also pointed to the massive scale of digital exposure, with billions of online impressions, a significant share of which directly reach younger audiences, reinforcing early and often unconscious engagement with nicotine.
In this context, protecting the next generation must remain a central priority, requiring coordinated action across policy, health systems, and communication efforts.
“Change, in this context, means deciding what we will protect. It means being willing to say that some outcomes, especially those that affect children and adolescents, are not acceptable. It means aligning policy, practice, and communication around a shared objective.
And that objective is straightforward.
It is to ensure that fewer people develop the conditions we are working so hard to treat. It is to reduce the number of young people who become dependent on nicotine in any form. It is to create environments where the healthy choice is not only available, but supported and sustained.”
Finally, he called for stronger narrative control in public health, reminding participants of the tight link between policy and culture and of their mutual influence, and urging stakeholders to shape how nicotine is perceived and addressed actively.
Read the full speech below:
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