World Health Organization (WHO) Reports Alarming Rise in E-Cigarette Use Among Minors
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared on Monday that at least 15 million minors aged 13 to 15 smoke e-cigarettes worldwide. The WHO added that the likelihood of young people smoking this type of cigarette is, on average, nine times higher than among adults in countries where data is available. In its first global estimate of e-cigarette use, the WHO indicated that over 100 million people currently vape worldwide, including at least 86 million adults, with the majority residing in high-income countries. These figures emerge as traditional tobacco use continues to decline globally. The number of tobacco users has decreased from 1.38 billion in 2000 to 1.2 billion smokers in 2024. Given that stricter regulations are contributing to reduced tobacco use, the industry has turned to alternative products like e-cigarettes to compensate for the decline in sales. Tobacco companies claim to target adult smokers with the goal of helping them quit smoking and reduce the risks associated with traditional tobacco. However, the WHO warned that nearly one in five adults worldwide continue to smoke tobacco products and called for strengthened enforcement of anti-tobacco measures and regulation of the use of new nicotine products, such as e-cigarettes.
