World Health Organization warns of a "new addiction wave".. e-cigarettes target 15 million teenagers globally

In a stark warning, the World Health Organization revealed that over 15 million teenagers aged between 13 and 15 are consuming e-cigarettes worldwide, defining this phenomenon as a "new addiction wave" that threatens the health of youth, despite a noticeable decline in traditional smoking rates.

The data released by the organization indicated that the total number of e-cigarette users globally has surpassed 100 million people, with adults making up 86 million of them, most of whom are concentrated in high-income countries. The figures reveal that young people are nine times more likely to try these products compared to adults in countries where data is available.

This warning comes at a time when traditional smoking rates are experiencing a significant decline, with the number of tobacco users dropping from 1.38 billion in 2000 to about 1.2 billion in 2024. In response to this decline in sales, major tobacco companies have turned to promoting alternative products like e-cigarettes to compensate for losses. Despite these companies' claims that they target adult smokers to help them quit, health experts assert that the reality contradicts this.

In this regard, Etienne Krug, Director of the Department of Health Determinants at the organization, commented: "These products are marketed as less harmful, but in reality, they draw children into a cycle of nicotine addiction early on, undermining decades of progress in tobacco control."

Governments around the world are trying to find a balance in dealing with these products. On one hand, a scientific review conducted by the Cochrane Network in 2024 showed that evidence suggests e-cigarettes may be an effective way to help some smokers quit compared to other alternatives like patches or gum. However, the review also emphasized the insufficiency of long-term data to confirm the safety of these products.

Southeast Asia recorded the largest decline in traditional smoking rates among males, with the percentage dropping from 70% in 2000 to 37% in 2024, contributing to more than half of the global decline. In contrast, Europe now leads in tobacco use rates at 24.1%, with its women recording the highest female smoking rate in the world, reaching 17.4%.

The World Health Organization warns that one in five adults still uses tobacco in its traditional or electronic form. The organization called for stricter laws on tobacco control and regulation of new nicotine products, focusing on protecting teenagers from targeted marketing campaigns. The organization reiterated that "nicotine does not distinguish between traditional or electronic cigarettes.. the risk is the same, and prevention is a collective responsibility."