BACKGROUND: Tobacco use among youth in Pakistan is a critical public health and socio-economic challenge that has major implications for long-term health and economic stability. Despite the existence of tobacco control laws, little awareness and insufficient engagement of youth inhibit effective implementation and enforcement.
METHODS: This was a multi-sectoral intervention on tobacco use among young people aged 15-24 years. It utilized a mixed-method approach in which, at baseline, knowledge, attitude, and practices were assessed from a sample of 1200 young people from both urban and rural settings. The interventions targeted awareness raising, peer-led workshops, and digital advocacy communications. Partnerships developed with various stakeholders include those in educational institutions, the media, and policy makers in ensuring increased coverage and added value of this initiative.
RESULTS: Consequently, the interventions resulted in a 70% increase in knowledge about tobacco-related health risks and a 65% increase in youth-led advocacy activities. A multi-sector collaboration-facilitated media campaign reached over 500000 and had great youth engagement. The young participants actively engaged in policy discussions, asking for stringent tobacco control measures and the inclusion of youth voices into the legislative process.
CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the transformational role of youth as change agents in tobacco control, demonstrating the efficiency of multisector approaches. The scalable framework presented herein underscores the importance of cross sectoral collaboration to combat tobacco use and serves as a model for global efforts for tobacco control.

Keywords
Tobacco Control, Youth Engagement, Public Health Policy, Advocacy, Multi-Sector Collaboration, Pakistan, Public Health