The African Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA) is sounding an urgent alarm: the tobacco industry is leveraging the metaverse to target children and youth, particularly across Africa’s rapidly expanding digital landscape.
ATCA Says that through unregulated virtual environments, tobacco companies are deploying smoking avatars and branded content to subtly glamorize smoking and draw in a new generation of users.
This critical warning follows a recent investigation by The Guardian, which exposed these tactics within virtual spaces popular with young people. Mrs. Kouami Kossiwa, ATCA’s Interim Executive Secretary, speaking from Lomé, described this development as a “dangerous evolution in tobacco marketing” and unequivocally labeled it “manipulation.”
“The use of smoking avatars and branded content in the metaverse directly targets young users in largely unregulated digital spaces,” Mrs. Kossiwa stated. “This is not innovation; it is manipulation—and it must be confronted urgently.”
Africa’s booming digital connectivity makes its youth exceptionally vulnerable. With 70 percentof the continent’s population under 30 and internet penetration more than doubling since 2015, young Africans are increasingly immersed in mobile-first digital environments. Many lack the critical awareness needed to spot and resist sophisticated online manipulation. The metaverse, with its immersive games, social experiences, and even educational platforms, offers tobacco companies a potent new avenue to bypass traditional advertising bans and public health safeguards.
“As Africa’s youth become more digitally connected, they also become more exposed to sophisticated marketing disguised as entertainment,” Mrs. Kossiwa explained. “The tobacco industry is adapting its playbook to lure a new generation of users, exploiting grey areas where regulations haven’t caught up.”
The Guardian’s report provided concrete examples of these alarming tactics, including virtual avatars depicted smoking, digital products featuring recognizable tobacco branding, and immersive scenarios designed to normalize smoking. Health advocates argue these strategies aim to portray tobacco use as trendy, social, and acceptable, especially to impressionable younger audiences who are still forming habits and identities.
“By targeting the metaverse,” Mrs. Kossiwa warned, “the tobacco industry is trying to rebrand addiction as digital culture. It’s a deliberate effort to reshape social norms and hook young people through digital seduction.”
In response, ATCA is calling for immediate and coordinated action from all stakeholders: governments, civil society, tech developers, educators, and parents. The alliance urges the implementation of robust digital regulations that explicitly prohibit any form of tobacco promotion in virtual spaces. Furthermore, ATCA advocates for tech companies to integrate stringent content moderation, age-verification systems, and clear anti-tobacco guidelines within their platforms.
ATCA also emphasizes the need for global surveillance of industry behavior online, increased investment in digital literacy and health education for young users, and an urgent update to the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) to address the evolving realities of emerging technologies and cross-border digital marketing.
“We must not wait for regulation to catch up—we must lead it,” urged Mrs. Kossiwa. “The metaverse must not become a loophole in global health protection.”
She underscored that while Africa’s digital transformation offers immense opportunities in education, entrepreneurship, and innovation, these benefits must not be undermined by industries that profit from addiction and disease.
“The future of our children, and the integrity of Africa’s digital promise, depends on our bold action today,” she concluded. “Together, we must ensure that the metaverse becomes a space for imagination—not a breeding ground for tobacco addiction.”
ATCA has reaffirmed its commitment to exposing, confronting, and dismantling the growing digital threats posed by the tobacco industry, vowing to continue its advocacy for a healthy, tobacco-free future, both in the real and virtual worlds.
