Belize’s Youth Are Being Handed the Mic to Fight Big Tobacco

The Belize Cancer Society and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids have launched a new initiative aimed at preventing smoking before it starts among young people. The initiative is positioning youth themselves as the driving force behind tobacco control advocacy in Belize.

“Youth Leading Change for a Tobacco-Free Belize” brings together students and community leaders around a shared goal: cutting off tobacco use at its source.

Patricia Sosa, Associate Vice President of the Tobacco-Free Kids Campaign, says the effort ties into the WHO’s Framework Convention for Tobacco Control, a global treaty ratified by 183 countries. One policy the campaign is pushing for locally is a full ban on smoking in indoor public spaces. “We are not banning the product, and we are not banning consumption in any private spaces. It is all just public spaces, in order to reduce exposure to second-hand smoke.”

Sosa says the youth focus is intentional. As older smokers age out, she says tobacco companies have shifted toward recruiting younger users through e-cigarettes and vapes. “We know that if you begin smoking before the age of 18, you are likely to become a lifelong smoker. What has complicated the situation is that companies now target young people through social media, using influencers and very targeted advertising.”

She says that’s exactly why young people need a seat at the table. “You cannot be effective in tobacco control if you do not engage young people, because you need to know what the industry is doing and telling them.”

Belize Cancer Society President Kim Simplis Barrow says the campaign fits directly into the organization’s prevention work. “Tobacco is one of the main causes of cancer in the world, so this aligns squarely with the work that we do.”

Simplis Barrow says the campaign’s actual direction is still being shaped by the young participants themselves, through strategic planning sessions happening now. “We have a number of young people in the room who will be guiding this campaign. It’s youth engagement, for them to give us the direction in which they want to see a smoke-free Belize.”