By
Lisa Lu,
Spokesperson, Global Youth Voices
Founder and CEO, International Youth Tobacco Control
This International Youth Day, International Youth Tobacco Control joined forces with other youth organizations to sign a letter by Global Youth Voices (GYV), the Children and Youth Major Group (CYMG) to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Hidden Plastic, and River Warrior Indonesia to send one clear message to the Chair and negotiators at the second part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an internationally legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-5.2): our future can’t be sacrificed for corporate profit. Together, we signed an open letter urging world leaders to adopt a plastics treaty that aligns with global health agreements like the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and puts an end to cigarette filters once and for all — not just the plastic ones, but even those that the industry tries to rebrand as “biodegradable” or “eco-friendly.”
Cigarette filters are the most littered item on earth. They’ve never made smoking safer; they were created to give the illusion of safety. What they really do is leave behind mountains of toxic plastic waste that seep into our streets, beaches, and waterways. Every cigarette butt tossed on the ground is another reminder that Big Tobacco still puts its bottom line over our health and our planet.
That’s why young people everywhere are raising their voices. We ask for a plastics treaty that:
- Bans all cigarette filters—no exceptions.
- Exposes the industry’s greenwashing, like fake “eco-friendly” filters and staged clean-up campaigns.
- Blocks tobacco products from extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes, so companies can’t hide behind them to dodge accountability.
- Keeps the treaty aligned with the WHO FCTC, making sure Big Tobacco has no influence in the process.
For decades, the tobacco industry has pretended to care about the environment while fueling youth addiction and covering up its pollution. We’re not falling for it anymore.
As the letter says: “We demand a treaty that protects young people, not polluters; that serves public health, not corporate profit. Anything less is a betrayal of our future.”
This isn’t just about plastic. It’s about our right to a healthier, safer future—and young people are ready to fight for it.
Read the full open letter here
