Worrying Number of People Now Use E-Cigarettes, States Global Health Body
Over 100 million people, featuring at bare minimum 15 million children, now utilize e-cigarettes, fueling a recent trend of nicotine addiction, according to current global medical reports.
Children are, usually, nine times more inclined than adults to engage in vaping, according to available global data.
E-cigarettes are fueling a "new wave" of nicotine dependency, remarked a senior health expert. "They are promoted as risk reduction but, in reality, are addicting youth on nicotine earlier and threaten compromising generations of progress."
Young People Being 'Targeted'
"Countless of people are stopping, or refraining from tobacco usage thanks to tobacco control initiatives by nations across the planet," the representative said.
"As a reaction to this strong improvement, the tobacco sector is resisting with novel nicotine items, forcefully focusing on young people. Authorities must act more rapidly and stronger in enacting proven tobacco-control measures," he added.
The e-cigarette figures are an estimate since some states - 109 in all, and numerous in Africa and Southeast Asia - lack statistics.
Based on the analysis, as of February this period, at bare minimum 86 million e-cigarette consumers were mature individuals, mainly in wealthy nations.
And at least 15 million adolescents between the ages of 13 and 15 already use e-cigarettes, per research from 123 countries.
Even though several countries have made efforts to establish e-cigarette regulations to address youth vaping in the past few years, by the close of 2024, 62 states yet had no regulation in operation, and 74 countries had no age limit at which e-cigarettes are allowed to be bought, says the medical authority.
At the same time, tobacco use has been decreasing - from an projected 1.38 billion individuals in 2000 to 1.2 billion in 2024.
Prevalence of tobacco usage among females decreased the most - from 11% in 2010 to 6.6% in 2024.
With males, the drop was from 41.4% in 2010 to 32.5% in 2024.
But 20% of adults worldwide even now consumes tobacco.
Tobacco use is linked to numerous diseases, like cancer.
Experts state vaping is considerably less harmful than cigarettes, and can help you quit smoking. It is advised against for those who don't smoke.
Vaping devices do not burn tobacco and do not produce tar or carbon monoxide, a couple of the most dangerous components in tobacco vapors. They include nicotine, which can be habit-forming.
