As Saint Lucia joins countries around the world in observing World No Tobacco Day 2026, health officials are expressing growing concern over the increasing popularity of vaping and other nicotine products among young people, despite continued declines in traditional cigarette smoking.
The Ministry of Health, Wellness and Nutrition, through the Substance Abuse Advisory Council Secretariat (SAACS), is intensifying its public education efforts as it seeks to address what officials describe as an emerging public health challenge.
Acting Deputy Coordinator of SAACS, Caleb Paul, in a video release on June 2, said recent interactions with students have revealed that many young people continue to be exposed to tobacco smoke and nicotine products within their own communities and homes.
“We realized that the students said that they are exposed to secondhand smoke and a lot of that smoke comes from where they live, in their communities,” Paul explained. “So we realized that it’s not just the students we need to speak to but even the parents.”
According to Paul, many young people are first introduced to vaping devices through familiar social environments rather than through strangers or commercial outlets.
“The younger students when we go out doing our teachings would say that it’s in a familiar place they get to use the vape for the first time,” he said.
The findings have prompted SAACS to broaden its outreach strategy to include parents, guardians and community members, recognizing that prevention efforts must extend beyond schools if they are to be effective.
Officials are also renewing calls for greater compliance with Saint Lucia’s tobacco control legislation. Paul highlighted the importance of adhering to provisions introduced under amendments to public health laws in 2020, which regulate smoking in public spaces.
“That public health amendment in 2020, we really want to continue to emphasize the importance of abiding by those regulations in bars, in restaurants, at public events,” he said. “We really want everybody to enjoy themselves without smoking on weed.”
As vaping products continue to gain popularity among younger demographics, Paul warned that attractive marketing campaigns and flavored products are being used to encourage nicotine use among adolescents.
“We really want to show persons that it’s not the colorful advertisements, the nice flavors,” he stated. “That’s the tobacco industry’s tactic to get young persons hooked to the same old substance, tobacco.”
World No Tobacco Day, observed annually on May 31, serves as a global platform to raise awareness about the health risks associated with tobacco use and to encourage policies aimed at reducing tobacco consumption.
Health officials in Saint Lucia say their focus this year is not only on traditional tobacco products but also on emerging nicotine delivery systems, including electronic cigarettes, vaping devices and heated tobacco products, which continue to attract growing numbers of young users.
Through expanded public education campaigns, community outreach and enforcement of tobacco control regulations, authorities hope to reduce nicotine use among youth and create healthier environments for future generations.