Bandar Seri Begawan: The Global School Health Survey 2019 revealed a concerning trend among Brunei’s youth, with 9.8 percent of adolescents aged 13-17 identified as smokers and 13.3 percent of those aged 13 to 15 using e-cigarettes. This was highlighted by the Minister of Health, Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Doctor Awang Haji Mohd Isham bin Haji Jaafar, in a message marking World No Tobacco Day 2025. He emphasized the detrimental impact of nicotine on brain development and emotional and cognitive functions, underscoring the increased risk of addiction to tobacco, nicotine, and other substances.
According to Radio Television Brunei, the Health Minister called for collaborative efforts to empower Brunei’s youth by countering the tobacco industry’s influence. He explained that early exposure to nicotine is linked to severe addiction and emotional disorders such as depression. He urged the younger generation to advocate for a tobacco- and nicotine-free future. Despite Brunei’s strong performance in implementing the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the Minister warned against complacency, noting that the country remains a target for tobacco product sales.
The Minister further highlighted the tobacco industry’s strategic and aggressive tactics over the past decades, targeting children and adolescents through advertising and marketing aimed at recruiting new users. This focus aligns with the year’s World No Tobacco Day theme, “Unmasking the Appeal: Exposing Industry Tactics on Tobacco and Nicotine Products,” which seeks to raise awareness about the industry’s influence on youth.