World Lung Day Sets the Stage for Youth-Led Action
On Sept. 25, in Pasig City, young Filipinos from the TobaccOFF NOW! Movement unveiled a Youth Manifesto Against Tobacco Industry Interference. The event, held to mark World Lung Day, highlighted what organizers describe as manipulative and deceptive tactics used by the tobacco industry to attract the country’s youth. The manifesto was co-developed with 79 youth organizations and is supported by more than 100 community partners, signaling broad cross-sector momentum for stronger tobacco control in the Philippines.
As a rallying point for youth civic engagement, the manifesto frames a longer-term campaign built around six concrete demands designed to curb industry influence, protect young people, and compel government action. The launch also showcased a growing alliance of students, educators, health advocates, and civil society groups committed to ending youth-targeted marketing and access to nicotine products.
The Six Demands: What the Manifesto Seeks
The document outlines six core asks intended to reduce youth exposure to nicotine and slow the industry’s pull on new generations. They are:
- Raise the age limit for all nicotine-based products to 21 years old.
- Eliminate flavors in electronic cigarettes, heated tobacco products, nicotine pouches, and other nicotine-based products.
- Ban appealing packaging and sleek device designs that make products look fun and modern.
- Tighten distribution laws, particularly on social media and e-commerce, and penalize retailers who sell to minors.
- Enforce a comprehensive advertising ban, including promotions, influencer tie-ups, and sponsorships.
- Increase taxes on nicotine-based products to deter youth consumption.
Leaders and Supporters Speak
Vonn Vincent Tanchuan, campaign lead of the TobaccOFF NOW! Movement, framed the manifesto as the opening chapter of a much bigger battle against tobacco industry interference. “Through it, we want to clearly demand accountability from the tobacco industry and courage from the Philippine government to make us, the young people of this country, your priority,” he said in a statement. The launch drew representatives from prominent public health groups, signaling broad support for a youth-centered approach to tobacco control.
Jeannie Anne Maguad, executive director of the Positive Youth Development Network, underscored the campaign’s long-term trajectory. “Simula pa lamang po ito ng mas malaking laban para sa TobaccOFF NOW! Movement (This is just the beginning of a bigger fight for the TobaccOFF NOW! Movement). We will continue to engage more young people in this advocacy together with our Community Patrollers, and ensure that the collective voices of the youth wherever they are in the Philippines are heard,” she said.
The event featured participants and sponsors from ImagineLaw, the Philippine Smoke-free Network, HealthJustice Philippines, Transcend, and the Ateneo School of Government, illustrating a diverse coalition united behind youth leadership and proven public health strategies.
Next Steps and a Growing Movement
Beyond the formal manifesto, the TobaccOFF NOW! Movement outlined a scalable plan to mobilize youth across the nation. The group aims to collect at least 15,000 youth signatures in support of the manifesto by the end of 2025, signaling a broad mobilization that could drive policy dialogue and legislative follow-through. Organizers emphasize ongoing engagement through Community Patrollers and regional coalitions to keep the momentum going as the country grapples with nicotine use among young people.
The World Lung Day launch thus marks not only a symbolic moment but a strategic push to elevate youth voices in tobacco-control policymaking. If realized, the six demands could reshape how nicotine products are marketed, sold, and taxed in the Philippines, aligning national policy with the growing global movement to protect young generations from the harms of tobacco.
