Concerning Number of Users Now Vape, Warns Global Health Body
More than 100 million users, including at least 15 million children, currently use e-cigarettes, driving a recent wave of nicotine addiction, per current international public health data.
Children are, typically, nine times more likely than mature individuals to use e-cigarettes, per available worldwide statistics.
Electronic cigarettes are driving a "recent wave" of nicotine addiction, stated a prominent health official. "They are promoted as harm reduction but, in reality, are hooking kids on nicotine at younger ages and threaten weakening generations of progress."
Adolescents Being 'Aimed At'
"Millions of citizens are quitting, or avoiding tobacco usage due to tobacco restriction efforts by nations across the planet," the official commented.
"In response to this substantial progress, the tobacco business is fighting back with new nicotine devices, actively aiming at young people. Administrations must take action quicker and stronger in enacting tested tobacco-control measures," he further stated.
The vaping numbers are an estimate since some nations - 109 in total, and several in African and Southeast Asia - fail to collect data.
Based on the report, as of recent February this period, at bare minimum 86 million e-cigarette consumers were adults, primarily in wealthy states.
And at least 15 million teenagers between the ages of 13 and 15 currently engage in vaping, per research from 123 states.
While several states have tried to implement e-cigarette policies to combat child vaping in the past few years, by the close of 2024, 62 nations even now had no regulation in effect, and 74 countries had no age limit at which e-cigarettes can be purchased, says the health authority.
At the same time, tobacco consumption has been decreasing - from an estimated 1.38 billion users in 2000 to 1.2 billion in 2024.
Occurrence of tobacco use among women fell the most - from 11% in 2010 to 6.6% in 2024.
For men, the decrease was from 41.4% in 2010 to 32.5% in 2024.
But 20% of mature individuals globally still employs tobacco.
Smoking is connected to numerous illnesses, such as cancer.
Professionals claim vaping is considerably less damaging than tobacco products, and can aid you stop smoking. It is discouraged for non-smokers.
Electronic cigarettes avoid burning tobacco and avoid generating tar or carbon monoxide, a pair of the most dangerous substances in tobacco fumes. They have nicotine, which can be dependency-creating.
