E-cigarettes are causing a concerning surge in nicotine addiction among children, as highlighted by the World Health Organization on Monday. In countries where data is available, children are approximately nine times more likely than adults to engage in vaping, the WHO reported. Despite being marketed as a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes, the vaping industry is actively attracting young individuals, leading to a rise in addiction among children.
The WHO’s inaugural global assessment of e-cigarette usage revealed that over 100 million people worldwide are currently vaping. This figure includes around 86 million adults, primarily in high-income nations, and at least 15 million adolescents aged 13 to 15. Etienne Krug, the WHO’s director of health determinants, promotion, and prevention, expressed concern over the situation, stating that e-cigarettes are perpetuating a fresh wave of nicotine dependency among youth, posing a threat to the progress made in tobacco control over the years.
While the global tobacco consumption has decreased from 1.38 billion in 2000 to 1.2 billion in 2024 amid a growing population, one in five adults globally remains addicted to tobacco. The WHO noted that the tobacco industry is adopting new strategies to sustain these numbers, particularly by targeting young people with novel nicotine products. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the importance of swift and robust implementation of proven tobacco control measures by governments to counter these industry tactics.
According to the WHO, twelve countries are witnessing an upsurge in tobacco use prevalence, indicating a concerning trend with potential health repercussions for millions worldwide. Jeremy Farrar, the WHO’s assistant director-general for health promotion, disease prevention, and care, underscored the devastating impact of smoking, attributing over seven million deaths annually to smoking-related causes, with an additional one million deaths due to second-hand smoke exposure. Farrar emphasized the detrimental effects of smoking on overall health and condemned smoking indoors around children as irresponsible and unacceptable.