I had the great pleasure of meeting Jeltsje Boersma, a prominent anti-tobacco advocate and public health policy professional, serving as a Senior Policy Officer at Impact Unfiltered. She delivered her famous “I’m here today to make you angry” speech that went super viral on social media, exposing the shocking tactics of Big Tobacco.
Jeltsje exposed that the scale of the problem became unmistakable — from the industry’s global reach to its ability to reshape products, messaging, and policy in ways that keep nicotine addiction alive, despite the smoking bans around the world.
What stands out most is how the industry has shifted its focus. While many Western countries have reduced smoking through regulation and public health campaigns, tobacco companies have moved aggressively into lower- and middle-income countries, where young populations, weaker enforcement, and competing national priorities create ideal conditions for growth.
They have reinvented themselves through vapes, pouches, and other novel nicotine products, presenting them as modern alternatives while still building the same old cycle of dependence.
Our discussion breaks down the severity of chemical dependency on nicotine, as many people wrongly assume nicotine is a mild habit. We explore the physiological grip of nicotine addiction and why the biological reaction often rivals substances like cocaine.
Understanding this comparison can change your approach to quitting nicotine for good. By examining the facts, we strip away misconceptions about substance abuse and focus on the reality of chemical dependence.
The discussion also exposed how deliberate the industry’s influence really is. From flavoured products designed to appeal to teens, to marketing tactics that normalise nicotine from a young age, to front groups and “harm reduction” narratives that obscure their real motives, the playbook is clear: create doubt, exploit loopholes, and keep the public distracted.
But Jeltsje and her team believe that there is also hope. Strong policies, such as taxes, tighter regulations, advertising limits, and generational sales bans, have already proven effective — and personal stories, not just statistics, can move politicians to act.
The message is simple: this is not a dead industry, and it is not a harmless consumer choice. It is a highly strategic system that profits from engineered addiction, illness, and delay. The fight back requires informed citizens, stronger policy, and the courage to speak plainly about what is happening.
Join the conversation now and share this message with your family, friends, and colleagues to help put an end to this exploitative industry.
