Chile MoH Launches “Humos Letales 3: Comeback” — Spotlight on Vaping Harms, Headline Message “Vapear te mata (Vaping kills)”

Key points

• Campaign focus: Third season of Humos Letales (running since 2022) targets 12–14-year-olds and other youth audiences with a frank, realistic tone about vaping risks.
• Data backdrop: SENDA (2023) — 34.7% ever used e-cigs; 8.6% monthly use among students (8th–12th grades).
• Creative & messages: Video highlights “Vapear te mata,” “Apaga esos humos letales,” “La nicotina te atrapa.” Creative by FRI; production by Poston.
• Official voices: Vice-Minister Andrea Albagli says this season explicitly addresses e-cigarette harms; Providencia Mayor Jaime Bellolio will promote the campaign across municipal schools; PAHO’s Chile representative Giovanni Escalante voiced strong support.
• Calls to action: Parents/caregivers should talk with children, not gift or allow vape purchases, and seek care in suspected intoxication; schools, communities, and municipalities should strengthen smoke- and vape-free environments.
• Context: Smoking is a leading preventable cause of premature death worldwide (~8 million deaths annually, WHO). In Chile, smoking prevalence among people 15+ is 27.9% (men 29.8%, women 26.1%).

2Firsts, Sep 11 2025 — Chile’s Ministry of Health launched the third season of its anti-tobacco mass-media effort, “Humos Letales 3: Comeback,” at the Café Literario in Parque Bustamante, alongside students from Liceo Carmela Carvajal de Providencia. Since 2022, the Humos Letales series has aimed to raise awareness among teens, families, and communities about the harms of cigarettes and vaping; this season zeroes in on the rapid spread of e-cigarette use in schools.

Vice-Minister of Health Andrea Albagli said the series, produced annually for three years, keeps a direct, explicit, and realistic communication style and now targets vaping products more clearly. “Our primary audience is 12–14-year-olds—the age at which tobacco use begins. We use more straightforward language to discourage initiation,” she noted.

Citing SENDA (2023), authorities highlighted that 34.7% of students from 8th grade to senior year have tried e-cigarettes, and 8.6% report monthly use. The campaign’s video stresses nicotine addiction and health harms and points to environmental and relational impacts of smoking and vaping. It carries stark on-screen messages—“Vapear te mata (Vaping kills),” “Apaga esos humos letales (Put out those deadly smokes),” “La nicotina te atrapa (Nicotine traps you)”—with creative by FRI and production by Poston.

The rollout includes guidance for parents and caregivers: talk with children, do not gift or permit vape purchases, and seek medical care in suspected intoxication. It also encourages schools, communities, and municipalities to strengthen smoke- and vape-free spaces. Providencia Mayor Jaime Bellolio underscored that tobacco causes ~19,000 deaths a year in Chile (≈52 per day) and pledged to extend the campaign across municipal schools to promote healthy lifestyles, sports, and extracurriculars.

PAHO’s representative in Chile, Giovanni Escalante, welcomed the initiative: “All tobacco products make people sick and kill. E-cigarettes are particularly dangerous because flavors, colors, and marketing attract 12–14-year-olds under a false perception of safety.”

Global context: WHO estimates ~8 million tobacco-attributable deaths annually. In Chile, 27.9% of people aged 15+ smoke (men 29.8%, women 26.1%).