Vital Strategies tackles the most preventable causes of disease and injury, including by advancing tobacco control. We work with governments and civil society organizations around the world to support tobacco control initiatives that are aligned with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and MPOWER tobacco reduction measures. Since 2007, our work has supported stronger tobacco control protections for more than 4.13 billion people.
Learn More About Our Work
Tackling the drivers of NCDs: tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy food
Vital Strategies addresses noncommunicable diseases through population-level solutions targeting commercial determinants of health. We work in over 80 countries implementing taxation, warning labels, media campaigns, and advertising restrictions for tobacco, alcohol, and unhealthy food products. Our programs are protecting generations from tobacco through comprehensive policy support, reducing the harms of alcohol through the RESET initiative, and safeguarding communities from unhealthy food marketing. Over 3.3 billion people are now covered by protective policies we helped achieve.
Harnessing Health Taxes for Public Good
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancers, diabetes and heart disease are among the leading causes of premature death and disability worldwide. They also strain health systems, reduce productivity, and increase poverty—especially in low- and middle-income countries. Fortunately, there is an effective public policy tool to address these challenges: health taxes.
Tobacco Control at Vital Strategies
Vital Strategies partners with governments and civil society organizations worldwide to advance tobacco control through WHO Framework Convention and MPOWER measures. We provide technical assistance and strategic support to country partners, implementing over 750 projects and producing nearly 500 media campaigns across 50 countries. Through collaboration on policy implementation, cessation services reaching 1.15 billion people, and grants programs spanning 66 countries, we have strengthened tobacco control protections for over 4.13 billion people since 2007.
Tobacco Control Grants Program
Vital Strategies and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids jointly manage the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use Grants Program, which awards funds to projects delivering high-impact tobacco control interventions in low- and middle-income countries.
Tobacco Cessation Grants Program
Vital Strategies’ Cessation Grants Program provides technical and financial support to countries to implement sustainable, evidence-based tobacco cessation services at national and subnational levels. The Program supports implementing evidence-based approaches to achieve population-level impact through strengthening sustainable systems, specifically, toll-free quit lines, SMS- and app-based mCessation systems, and brief advice counselling.
Tobacco Industry Interference Grants Program
Vital Strategies’ Tobacco Industry Interference Grants Program aims to tackle the industry as the underlying cause of the tobacco epidemic. Tobacco Industry Interference Grants fund short-term, targeted projects that expose and counter tobacco industry activities that undermine public health policy.
Tobacco Control Implementation Hub
Vital Strategies’ Tobacco Control Implementation Hub is a repository for research and data, global best practices, and expert knowledge in tobacco control policy implementation. The Hub makes it easier for governments and their partners to improve compliance with tobacco control laws and save lives.
Partnership for Healthy Cities: Advancing Tobacco Control Through Local Policy Measures
Since 2017, the Partnership has been working with cities around the world to protect residents through best-practice tobacco control measures – from creating a smoke-free city to establishing bans on tobacco marketing.
Explore Selected Sessions
SOTA: An Interactive Health Check on the ‘Chain of Compliance’
Tuesday, 24 June, 10:30AM – 11:15AM,
Room: The Forum
Effective implementation and enforcement are needed to achieve high compliance with tobacco control laws. This special session will convene a panel of experts to guide participants through an interactive health check of their own jurisdictions’ “chain of compliance”. Panelists will share evidence of successful interventions and examples of innovative practice whilst responding to questions from the audience. Participants will be prompted to record and share the gaps and opportunities they identify for future action. The session will conclude with signposting to support networks and resources.
Moderators: Katherine Wright (Vital Strategies, U.S.), Putu Ayu Swandewi Astuti (Udayana University, Indonesia)
Speakers: Maria Cecilia Agpawa (Transcending Institutions and Communities, Inc., Philippines), Brian King (CTFK, U.S.), Maurice Mulcahy (Health Service Executive, Ireland)
SY-4-01 Advancing tobacco control: The impact of graphic warnings and standardised packaging
Monday, June 23, 01:00 PM – 02:00 PM
Room: Wicklow Hall 1
This symposium will explore the impact of graphic health warnings (GHWs) and standardized packaging in reducing tobacco use. These interventions, essential under the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), have been shown to disrupt tobacco marketing, change public perceptions, and lower smoking prevalence. GHWs use striking visuals and text to highlight health risks, encouraging cessation and deterring new users. Standardized packaging removes branding, standardizes tobacco packaging, and amplifies the impact of health warnings. Through case studies and global evidence, this session will discuss successful implementation, enforcement challenges, and the combined potential of these measures to advance tobacco control.
SY-1-03 Using artificial intelligence to advance forward-looking tobacco control measures
Monday, June 23, 02:15 PM – 03:15 PM
Room: The Forum
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to optimize access and knowledge both in gathering, analyzing and disseminating information, promoting tobacco control policies and supporting forward-looking tobacco control measures. While using data mining, machine learning or chatbot technologies, AI should be considered as a potentially revolutionary and innovative tool to facilitate tobacco control work. This symposium will highlight new AI tools and will include perspectives and experiences from countries, IGOs, NGOs and academia on the exciting future and will share experiences and best practices in using AI in tobacco control including data analysis, monitoring research, dissemination of information and smoking cessation.
SY-4-02 Harnessing digital tools and AI for monitoring tobacco marketing and strengthening policy responses
Tuesday, June 24, 04:45 PM – 05:45 PM
Room: Liffey B
This session examines persistent digital tobacco marketing tactics, and the policies needed to counter them. Presentations will cover covert e-cigarette marketing on Chinese social media, influencer-driven youth targeting in Brazil, and algorithmic strategies aimed at online news readers in Indonesia. The session highlights how civil society-led media monitoring systems, powered by AI, drive community action and shape policy responses. Attendees will gain actionable insights to address the challenges posed by digital tobacco marketing and promote more effective regulatory measures.
SY-3-02 Heated tobacco products: An evidence update
Wednesday, June 25, 02:00 PM – 03:00 PM
Room: Liffey B
Heated tobacco products (HTPs) are growing in popularity worldwide. This is partly attributable to the tobacco industry’s claims that HTPs are less harmful than cigarettes. Their novelty, design, and aggressive marketing have presented regulatory challenges in many countries. The objective of this session is to update the tobacco control community on the current state of evidence on HTPs to support a path forward for Tobacco Control. We will deep-dive into available clinical research on the health effects of HTPs, as well as highlight the latest strategies employed by the tobacco industry to market HTPs and seek favourable regulation.
SY-4-04 Navigating challenges: Strengthening tobacco control while countering industry interference through collaboration in Latin America
Wednesday, June 25, 02:00 PM – 03:00 PM
Room: Liffey A
This session explores the ongoing efforts to advance tobacco control in Latin America, despite industry opposition. Speakers from various organizations will discuss the progress and challenges in implementing the WHO FCTC, with a focus on how the tobacco and nicotine industry undermines public health policies. Key topics include industry tactics such as deceptive marketing and emerging products targeted at youth. Presentations will highlight successful strategies from several Latin American countries and emphasize the importance of cross-sector collaboration among governments, networks, and youth advocates. The session will provide valuable lessons and actionable insights to support global tobacco control efforts.
Explore Selected Publications
Big Tobacco’s Menu of Addiction
From cigarettes and water pipes to vapes and pouches, the tobacco industry produces tobacco and nicotine products to appeal to every palate. Big Tobacco must replace its customers who have quit—or died from using its products—and is doing its best to entice and addict the next generation of users.
Analysis of Global Action to End Smoking’s Tax Returns
Global Action to End Smoking (formerly FSFW) is operating with a $140 million donation from Philip Morris International, keeping its work “to end combustible tobacco use” financially linked to one of the world’s largest cigarette companies. Analysis of its latest tax return shows no new large donors and continued funding for projects that further the industry’s narrative of “harm reduction.”
The Next Frontier in Tobacco Marketing: Metaverse, Advergames and More
This report exposes tobacco companies’ sophisticated digital marketing tactics beyond traditional social media, including next-generation internet technologies and virtual platforms. The examined strategies normalize tobacco use through influencers, user-generated content and avatar-based experiences that create new digital cultures around smoking. The findings provide critical insights for policymakers and advocates to anticipate and counter the tobacco industry’s evolving online strategies.
Future of tobacco marketing: Metaverse, NFTs, next generation internet
This article reveals how tobacco companies are leveraging next-generation digital platforms, including advergaming, NFTs, and immersive events in the metaverse to normalize tobacco use through participatory culture. It offers timely insights for policymakers and advocates to counter these fast-evolving marketing tactics.
TERM: An early warning system to track digital tobacco marketing
The Tobacco Enforcement Reporting Movement (TERM): An early warning system to track digital tobacco marketing.
This article introduces the objective of the Tobacco Enforcement Reporting Movement (TERM), a digital monitoring system developed by Vital Strategies to track online tobacco marketing in low- and middle-income countries. TERM provides continuous data and analysis, including monthly reports and issue briefs, to inform governments, media, and advocates, with the aim of strengthening tobacco control responses.
Index for Tobacco Control Sustainability
The Index for Tobacco Control Sustainability (ITCS) evaluates the sustainability of national tobacco control programs across 31 indicators that are critical for Delivering effective and sustainable tobacco control.
Understanding Heated Tobacco Products: Current Issues & Recent Findings
Big Tobacco is pushing heated tobacco products (HTPs) around the world, claiming that these products are “reduced risk” compared to cigarettes. But the science the tobacco industry uses to validate its claims is largely funded by the industry itself. STOP researchers examined the latest evidence on HTP health risks and found that it’s impossible to say with certainty if HTPs will cause less harm, the same harm or more harm than cigarettes with long-term use.
TERM: Content analysis of electronic cigarette marketing on social media
A content analysis of e-cigarette marketing on social media: Findings from the Tobacco Enforcement and Reporting Movement (TERM) in India, Indonesia and Mexico.
Electronic cigarette use is normalizing smoking among youth and threatening tobacco control gains. This study found that social media marketing—varying in volume and source across Mexico, India, and Indonesia—is a key driver of awareness and uptake, shaped by local regulatory contexts.
TERM: Vape Tricks in Indonesia—Using social media to hook youth
Indonesia, with minimal electronic cigarette regulation and high social media use, has become a key target for youth-focused electronic cigarette marketing. Using TERM monitoring data, this study shows how brands leverage platforms like Instagram as part of a broader strategy to grow their consumer base and embed themselves in local youth culture.
Online E-Cigarette Marketing to Youth: India, Indonesia, Mexico
Protecting Youth From Online E-Cigarette Marketing: Findings From India, Indonesia and Mexico.
Electronic cigarettes are contributing to the renormalization of smoking among younger populations, threatening hard-won progress in tobacco control. Awareness and use of these products are rising globally, driven in large part by digital marketing—especially on social media. This report analyzed social media marketing of electronic cigarettes across Mexico, India, and Indonesia and found significant differences in the volume and sources of marketing, likely reflecting each country’s regulatory environment.