APACT 12th Youth Vision: Choose Youth Not Tobacco!
The Twelfth Asia Pacific Conference on Tobacco or Health, Bali, Indonesia, 13th September 2018
We, the youth of the twelfth Asia Pacific Conference on Tobacco or Health, are one hundred percent
committed to end tobacco to achieve Sustainable Development Goals, or the SDGs. A new era,
where youth take the baton of leadership in tobacco control, has begun.
Globally, more than seven million people’s lives, end prematurely due to smoking. One billion men
and women ages fifteen an older smoke. Some of them are exposed to smoking in their homes
and at public places. Each and every one of these deaths, causes immense pain and suffering.
Now/ imagine that we could turn back time to before the tobacco industry had influence and control
in our communities and our countries’ policies and prevent these problems. If cigarettes are
expensive, if advertising and sponsorship were banned, if we had clean air to breathe everywhere.
We cannot turn back time, but we can prevent future unnecessary deaths. We can protect children
from tobacco products and their advertising.
When youth become the target of this irresponsible action, then we must come forward, as the
champion/ of a new wave of change. We come to APACT with our inquisitiveness, passion, and
energy. We implore policymakers, all sectors of government, civil society members, and other
stakeholders, to recognize that holding the tobacco industry accountable, is non-negotiable. The
industry must be held responsible/ for every damaging action they have done/ every dollar they
invested to destroy each and every life. We call for bolder action/ in pursuit of the following goals.
- Build healthier lives, and tobacco-free generation for the future.
- Encourage stronger commitment from high-level decision makers, to end tobacco’s
favouritism, in countries’ policy agendas by meaningful implementation of FCTC. - Enforce smart fiscal policies like tobacco taxes that will prevent vulnerable groups and
children from starting to smoke and the consequences from smoking. - Support strengthen and mobilize youth voices and civil society movement toward
impactful campaign.
As Big Tobacco’s target, we the youth of the Asia Pacific region/ stand up and call for the right/ to
breathe fresh air/ not smoke, and not be exposed to tobacco advertising. The fate of the SDGs in
2030, will depend on the quality of life, and health of youth today. We urge policy makers and
community leaders to acknowledge the importance of meaningful involvement of youth in tobacco
control policy-making to achieve the SDGs. We are not the leaders of tomorrow, we are the leaders
of today. We will continue the important work to end tobacco’s harm in our communities in our
countries, and in the Asia-Pacific region.
Together, we can make a tobacco-free world.
CHOOSE YOUTH NOT TOBACCO!
Participant/ Presenter
Youth Delegate from Nepal Miss Ashmita Ghimire
