138. Tackling the Tobacco Industry Around the World

Tobacco use is the world’s leading cause of preventable death.

Since the mid-20th century, the tobacco industry has used deliberate marketing tactics to confuse the public about tobacco’s harmful effects, causing billions of deaths globally from tobacco use and second-hand smoke. However, a growing number of countries and organizations around the world are standing up to the tobacco industry and taking strong action.

Since its launch in 1995, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids has tackled the tobacco industry head on. And since the launch of the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use in 2007, the arch of the fight against tobacco has changed drastically – in turn, saving millions of lives. Despite this progress, the data shows that there's still a lot of work to be done. While cigarette use declined exceptionally over the years, the tobacco industry has found ways to reinvent itself through social media ad campaigns and colorful, fun-flavored e-cigarettes tailor made for kids.

On this episode, our host Katherine Oliver, sits down with Matt Myers, outgoing President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and Yolonda Richardson, the Campaign’s current President, to share more about the arduous battle against the ever-evolving tobacco industry and its deceptive marketing to kids and low-income communities around the world.