Worrying Number of People Now Use E-Cigarettes, Warns Global Health Organization
More than 100 hundred million people, comprising at least 15 million youth, now utilize e-cigarettes, propelling a fresh wave of nicotine addiction, per recent global public health data.
Youth are, usually, nine times more prone than adults to engage in vaping, per current worldwide statistics.
E-cigarettes are propelling a "fresh wave" of nicotine addiction, remarked a leading health expert. "They are advertised as harm reduction but, truthfully, are addicting kids on nicotine sooner and endanger undermining decades of progress."
Adolescents Being 'Focused On'
"Millions of citizens are ceasing, or refraining from tobacco use because of tobacco control initiatives by nations around the planet," the representative stated.
"In response to this substantial improvement, the tobacco industry is resisting with recent nicotine devices, forcefully focusing on adolescents. Administrations must respond quicker and stronger in applying proven tobacco-control measures," the official further stated.
The e-cigarette statistics are an estimate since some countries - 109 in total, and several in African and Southeast Asia - do not gather data.
According to the report, as of recent February this period, at bare minimum 86 million e-cigarette users were mature individuals, mainly in wealthy countries.
And at least 15 million youth between the ages of 13 and 15 currently use e-cigarettes, based on studies from 123 nations.
While numerous states have tried to introduce e-cigarette regulations to tackle underage vaping in the past few years, by the end of 2024, 62 countries still had no policy in operation, and 74 states had no minimum age at which e-cigarettes are allowed to be purchased, says the public health body.
Meanwhile, tobacco consumption has been decreasing - from an approximated 1.38 billion consumers in 2000 to 1.2 billion in 2024.
Occurrence of tobacco usage among females fell the greatest - from 11% in 2010 to 6.6% in 2024.
With men, the reduction was from 41.4% in 2010 to 32.5% in 2024.
But a fifth of grown-ups worldwide even now employs tobacco.
Cigarette consumption is connected to numerous diseases, like cancer.
Professionals state vaping is considerably less harmful than tobacco products, and can help you cease smoking. It is not recommended for those who don't smoke.
E-cigarettes do not burn tobacco and avoid generating black substance or toxic gas, two of the most harmful elements in tobacco vapors. They contain nicotine, which can be addictive.
