Young advocates from across Latin America came together in Montevideo, Uruguay, for the 3rd Latin American Youth Summit on Tobacco Control in August, 2026. The summit brought together 35 young advocates from 13 countries for training, collaboration and advocacy. Participants strengthened their skills, shared experiences and put what they learned into action through visits to Uruguay’s Ministry of Health and to Parliament, where they engaged directly with decision-makers on tobacco control to advance smoke-free polices in some outdoor spaces and to strengthen other regulations. The event highlighted the leadership and growing power of young people working together to advance tobacco control across Latin America. @OMISuruguay @creared_

Day 2 in Montevideo, Uruguay took our advocates from capacity building straight into real conversations with decision-makers. Our 30 youth advocates from across Latin America developed advocacy tools and strategies on tobacco control, then put them into action. They joined a dialogue with Dr. Caroline Chang, @pahowho's Representative in Uruguay, followed by a meeting with Uruguay’s Ministry of Health and Minister Dr. Cristina Lustemberg and her team on the critical role young people can play in advancing tobacco control. The advocates recognized Uruguay’s longstanding leadership on tobacco control and shared their commitment to helping drive continued progress across the region.

30 young advocates from 12 Latin American countries just kicked off 3 days of training in Montevideo, Uruguay. Day 1 was all about building the foundation: understanding how the tobacco industry and other industries use similar strategies that threaten our right to health, and getting hands-on with real case studies to spot those tactics in action. Then, straight into tobacco control 101: health impacts, industry strategies, and the region's context on flavored products and emerging tobacco and nicotine products. Ready to turn what they learned into action. @OMISuruguay @creared_

ENGLISH Yesterday, August 18, in Montevideo, we held a discussion on the landmark Philip Morris vs. Uruguay case, organized by Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (@CTFKGlobal). The session was led by Patricia Sosa from CTFK and featured Gustavo Sonora and Eduardo Bianco from Uruguay, who shared their experiences and lessons learned with young people from across Latin America. The discussion provided a firsthand look at the context, key aspects, and significance of this historic case, which set an important precedent for tobacco control and the defense of public health policies against tobacco industry interests. 📍 Espacio Colabora | Montevideo, Uruguay

Capacity building in the morning, advocacy in action by the afternoon. 💪 @OMISuruguay @creared_