BACKGROUND-AIM:
Since 2013, a non smoking generation has reached over 200,000 Swedish students with information about tobacco. Each year, trained young lecturers travel across Sweden to address the tobacco industry’s practices, the harms of nicotine on the developing brain, and its links to child labour, poverty, and environmental damage. The aim is to raise awareness, motivate 13–19-year-olds to abstain, and reach a broader audience through media outreach. Long term, the project promotes children’s right to health and a sustainable future while advocating for stronger legislation.

METHODS:
The lecture combines personal experiences with scientific facts and engaging video content. Young lecturers help build trust and make the content relatable, while an interactive format increases engagement and participation. We also provide follow-up materials and a digital version for wider access. Media outreach and social media content further expand our reach and raise awareness of the tobacco industry’s harmful impact and children’s right to health and a sustainable future.

RESULTS:
More than eight out of ten students report that they have gained increased knowledge about how the tobacco industry affects global sustainable development. Nine out of ten students believe that the lecture provides clear arguments for abstaining from tobacco and nicotine. A media reach of approximately one million Swedes.

CONCLUSIONS:
The project shows that school-based, youth-led, interactive education effectively increases awareness of the tobacco industry’s impact on health and sustainable development. By combining relatable messengers, evidence-based content and media outreach, it engages young people and motivates most to abstain. The results underscore the need to expand these efforts and support policies that protect children’s health and a sustainable future. Tobacco prevention and cessation