Alarming Number of Users Now Engage in Vaping, Warns Global Health Organization
Over 100 million users, comprising at minimum 15 million minors, currently employ e-cigarettes, fueling a recent wave of nicotine habit, per latest global health findings.
Children are, typically, nine times more inclined than mature individuals to use e-cigarettes, based on current international figures.
Electronic cigarettes are driving a "recent wave" of nicotine dependency, commented a senior health expert. "They are advertised as risk reduction but, in reality, are ensnaring kids on nicotine at younger ages and risk weakening years of progress."
Teens Being 'Aimed At'
"Numerous of citizens are quitting, or avoiding tobacco use due to tobacco control efforts by countries around the globe," he said.
"As a reaction to this significant progress, the tobacco sector is resisting with recent nicotine products, aggressively aiming at youth. Authorities must take action quicker and stronger in applying established tobacco-control policies," the official further stated.
The e-cigarette figures are a projection since numerous countries - 109 in all, and numerous in African and Asian regions - fail to collect data.
Based on the study, as of February this year, at minimum 86 million e-cigarette users were grown-ups, mostly in high-income nations.
And at minimum 15 million youth aged 13 and 15 currently engage in vaping, per research from 123 countries.
Even though numerous countries have attempted to introduce e-cigarette regulations to combat underage vaping in the past few years, by the close of 2024, 62 nations yet had no regulation in place, and 74 states had no age limit at which e-cigarettes may be acquired, reports the medical body.
Meanwhile, tobacco use has been declining - from an approximated 1.38 billion users in 2000 to 1.2 billion in 2024.
Prevalence of tobacco consumption among women fell the largest - from 11% in 2010 to 6.6% in 2024.
Among males, the reduction was from 41.4% in 2010 to 32.5% in 2024.
But 20% of adults globally even now employs tobacco.
Smoking is associated to numerous illnesses, like cancer.
Specialists claim vaping is significantly less dangerous than traditional cigarettes, and can assist you cease smoking. It is not recommended for non-smokers.
E-cigarettes do not burn tobacco and do not create resin or carbon monoxide, two of the most harmful substances in tobacco smoke. They contain nicotine, which may be dependency-creating.
