Worrying Figures of People Now Engage in Vaping, Warns Global Health Authority
More than 100 hundred million individuals, featuring at least 15 million minors, currently employ e-cigarettes, propelling a recent surge of nicotine addiction, according to latest global health data.
Children are, on average, nine times more prone than adults to use e-cigarettes, according to current global data.
E-cigarettes are propelling a "recent wave" of nicotine dependency, stated a senior health expert. "They are advertised as harm reduction but, actually, are hooking children on nicotine at younger ages and endanger undermining years of progress."
Adolescents Being 'Targeted'
"Numerous of individuals are quitting, or refraining from tobacco consumption because of tobacco control initiatives by countries across the world," the official said.
"As an answer to this strong advancement, the tobacco sector is fighting back with new nicotine devices, forcefully focusing on young people. Authorities must take action faster and more vigorously in implementing proven tobacco-control measures," the representative added.
The vaping figures are an estimate since some countries - 109 in total, and many in African and South-East Asia - lack information.
Based on the report, as of this past February this period, at bare minimum 86 million e-cigarette individuals were adults, primarily in high-income countries.
And at least 15 million adolescents between the ages of 13 and 15 presently vape, per research from 123 nations.
Even though many states have attempted to establish e-cigarette regulations to tackle youth vaping in the past few years, by the close of 2024, 62 nations still had no regulation in effect, and 74 nations had no minimum age at which e-cigarettes can be purchased, says the health authority.
At the same time, tobacco use has been decreasing - from an approximated 1.38 billion consumers in 2000 to 1.2 billion in 2024.
Prevalence of tobacco consumption among women dropped the largest - from 11% in 2010 to 6.6% in 2024.
Among men, the drop was from 41.4% in 2010 to 32.5% in 2024.
But 20% of grown-ups globally still consumes tobacco.
Cigarette consumption is linked to numerous diseases, such as cancer.
Experts claim vaping is far less damaging than tobacco products, and can assist you quit smoking. It is not recommended for non-smokers.
Electronic cigarettes eliminate burning tobacco and do not produce resin or toxic gas, a pair of the most harmful components in tobacco fumes. They include nicotine, which may be dependency-creating.
