World No Tobacco Day 2026: Ministry of Health and Wellness launches series of activities

A workshop targeting administrative cadres of primary and secondary schools will be held on Monday 1 June 2026 in the context of World No Tobacco Day 2026. The workshop, organised by the Ministry of Health and Wellness, will focus on raising awareness on tobacco and nicotine consumption among children and adolescents. Discussions will also address the growing use of emerging nicotine products such as e-cigarettes and vaping devices among young people.

World No Tobacco Day 2026 is being observed under the theme “Unmasking the appeal – countering nicotine and tobacco addiction.” In this context, the Ministry of Health and Wellness has launched a series of activities during the period of May and June 2026 aimed at strengthening national tobacco control measures, encouraging smoking cessation and promoting healthier lifestyles, particularly among children and adolescents.

As part of the programme, a four-week mass media campaign will be rolled out to sensitise the community on the harmful effects of tobacco consumption and promote the use of tobacco cessation services available in the country. Two pamphlets on cigarettes and vaping products will also be launched to providing information on the detrimental health effects associated with these products.

In a bid to ensure compliance with tobacco control regulations, enforcement operations will also be intensified in collaboration with the Police de l’Environnement and the Mauritius Police Force. Officers of the Public Health and Food Safety Inspectorate cadre of the Ministry of Health and Wellness will carry out increased inspections and enforcement actions regarding the ban on the retail sale of cigarettes and the prohibition of the sale of tobacco products to minors.

Moreover, sensitisation campaigns will be conducted in secondary schools in collaboration with the Health Information, Education and Communication Unit and the Health Promotion Unit of the Ministry. These awareness sessions aim to educate students on health hazards associated with smoking and vaping while encouraging healthier behavioural choices among the youth.

From January 2025 to date, some 662 awareness sessions on the harmful effects of smoking and vaping have been conducted across primary schools, secondary schools and Mauritius Institute of Training and Development institutions, reaching an estimated 7,556 students.

The theme for World No Tobacco Day 2026 throws light on strategies used by the tobacco and nicotine industry to reinvent and market products that appeal to younger generations while attempting to bypass stricter tobacco control measures worldwide.

Globally, tobacco remains one of the leading causes of preventable deaths, claiming more than 8 million lives every year, including some 1.2 million deaths linked to second-hand smoke exposure. Global data further indicates that at least 40 million children aged between 13 and 15 years currently use at least one tobacco product, while millions of adolescents are already using e-cigarettes. In countries where data are available, children are reportedly nine times more likely than adults to vape.

29 May 2026

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Topics: Health