Worrying Figures of Users Now Use E-Cigarettes, Warns Global Health Body
Over 100 million people, including at least 15 million children, now utilize e-cigarettes, fueling a fresh trend of nicotine habit, per latest worldwide health findings.
Minors are, typically, nine times more likely than adults to vape, per existing global statistics.
E-cigarettes are fueling a "recent wave" of nicotine dependency, remarked a leading health expert. "These devices are advertised as harm reduction but, actually, are addicting children on nicotine at younger ages and risk undermining generations of advancement."
Young People Being 'Targeted'
"Countless of citizens are stopping, or refraining from tobacco usage due to tobacco regulation initiatives by states across the globe," he said.
"As an answer to this significant progress, the tobacco business is pushing back with novel nicotine devices, actively focusing on adolescents. Administrations must act faster and more vigorously in applying proven tobacco-control measures," the representative continued.
The e-cigarette figures are an estimate since some nations - 109 in sum, and numerous in African and South-East Asia - fail to collect data.
According to the study, as of this past February this year, at minimum 86 million e-cigarette consumers were grown-ups, mostly in developed states.
And at minimum 15 million teenagers aged 13 and 15 currently engage in vaping, based on research from 123 countries.
Although numerous countries have made efforts to introduce e-cigarette policies to address child vaping in recent years, by the close of 2024, 62 countries still had no measure in effect, and 74 countries had no minimum age at which e-cigarettes are allowed to be acquired, states the medical body.
At the same time, tobacco usage has been decreasing - from an estimated 1.38 billion consumers in 2000 to 1.2 billion in 2024.
Frequency of tobacco consumption among women fell the largest - from 11% in 2010 to 6.6% in 2024.
With males, the reduction was from 41.4% in 2010 to 32.5% in 2024.
But 20% of mature individuals worldwide yet employs tobacco.
Smoking is associated to several illnesses, such as cancer.
Professionals say vaping is significantly less damaging than tobacco products, and can help you cease smoking. It is advised against for individuals who avoid tobacco.
Electronic cigarettes avoid burning tobacco and do not create tar or carbon monoxide, a couple of the most damaging components in tobacco smoke. They contain nicotine, which can be dependency-creating.
