The Vision for Alternative Development (VALD), a leading health advocacy organization, has issued a strong warning to the Government of Ghana to resist the tobacco industry’s growing push to promote so-called “Tobacco Harm Reduction” (THR) products, labelling them as a rebranded addiction strategy targeting the youth.
In a statement signed by its Executive Director, Mr. Issah Ali, VALD urged the Ministry of Health, the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), and other regulators to move swiftly to ban flavoured tobacco and nicotine products, which it says are being deceptively marketed as safer alternatives.
“The THR narrative is a calculated industry ploy that exploits sleek packaging, enticing flavours, and misleading claims to recruit new users—especially the youth,” the statement read.
This warning coincides with global commemorations of World No Tobacco Day, marked annually on May 31. This year’s theme, “Unmask the Appeal: Exposing Industry Tactics on Tobacco and Nicotine Products”, focuses on countering the marketing strategies used to normalize e-cigarettes, vapes, nicotine pouches, and other non-combustible products.
VALD emphasized that Ghana is increasingly being targeted by tobacco giants as a growth market, with low- and middle-income countries often facing weaker regulatory barriers and limited cessation resources. The group denounced recent media narratives promoting e-cigarettes and similar devices as public health solutions, arguing that such messaging is driven by industry interests—not independent science.
“Nicotine is addictive regardless of how it’s consumed. These ‘harm reduction’ products only prolong addiction, undermine public health goals, and are designed to secure new generations of users,” Mr. Ali stressed.
VALD’s statement outlined urgent actions the government should take, including enforcing tobacco advertising bans, restricting access to minors, resisting industry lobbying, and investing in scientific research and cessation support.
“The goal must not be to switch users from one addiction to another,” the group noted, “but to create a society where all tobacco and nicotine products are strictly regulated or eliminated.”
Calling for a united front across civil society, academia, media, and families, VALD concluded with a plea: “Let’s protect our youth and public health systems by unmasking the industry’s deceptive tactics and prioritizing the wellbeing of our people over corporate profits.”
