Windhoek—At 13 years old, Andre Hansen thought smoking was simply part of growing up.

Like many teenagers trying to fit in, he smoked his first cigarette in the company of other boys in his neighbourhood of Windhoek, Namibia’s capital. What began as experimentation quickly turned into a 17-year-long dependence that would eventually open the door to psychoactive substance use, the loss of relationships, stability and self-esteem.

Today, at 33 years old, Hansen has been tobacco-free and abstained from other substance use for more than two years.

“I believe it was indirect peer pressure,” Hansen recalls. “Society made us believe cigarettes were nothing, that it was part of the experience of growing up.”

That first cigarette became a routine so deeply ingrained that quitting felt impossible.

“After eating, I had to have a cigarette. It was a pattern I was trapped in,” he says.

Hansen’s experience reflects what the evidence demonstrates: nicotine is highly addictive, especially for adolescents whose brains are still developing.  Early exposure increases susceptibility to dependence and can impair attention, learning, impulse control and mental health.

The 2024 Namibia Global School-based Student Health Survey reveals troubling trends among adolescents aged 13–17 years of age: almost 9% currently smoke cigarettes; almost 18% use a tobacco product and 23% use electronic cigarettes. Boys are disproportionately affected, with nearly 30% reporting e-cigarette use. This means new nicotine products are now even more prevalent among adolescents than older forms, such as cigarettes.

To lure young people into tobacco and nicotine use, the industry has adapted new  tactics. Sleek designs, flavoured products, digital marketing and “modern lifestyle” branding make nicotine appear trendy and harmless. But the risks remain the same: nicotine addition, long-term dependence, harm to brain development and major risks to overall physical health, including cardiovascular diseases and a range of cancers.  

Hansen’s turning point came when he lost nearly everything. “I looked at my life and realized this is not what I planned for,” he says. Entering rehabilitation was the first step: “I cried a lot. Becoming sober for the first time in my life was overwhelming,” says Hansen.  

As a signatory to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, Namibia is implementing the MPOWER package: a comprehensive, six-point policy package introduced by WHO to assist countries in implementing the demand-reduction provisions of the Convention. This includes legislation regulating tobacco use, advertising and exposure, taxation to reduce consumption, especially among price-sensitive young people, school health education, community engagement and training for health workers to support cessation.  

“Evidence shows that half of all regular smokers will eventually die from smoking-related causes, with an average loss of 15 years of life. These are not just numbers; they represent lives cut short, potential unrealized and families left grieving,” says Helen Mouton, Director in the Ministry of Health and Social Services. “The time to intervene is now.”

Hansen’s recovery from tobacco and substance use has restored his relationships and gave him renewed purpose. “I still can’t believe how relationships with family members can be transformed through one change,” he says. “It’s like someone walking out of prison after many years.”