Gom Mirian
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called for urgent action to control the sale and use of e-cigarettes to protect children and non-smokers, and minimise health harms to the population.
In a statement on Thursday, WHO stated that e-cigarettes are not effective for quitting tobacco use at the population level and warned of alarming evidence of adverse health effects.
Currently, e-cigarettes are allowed on the open market and aggressively marketed to young people. So far, 34 countries have maintained a ban on the sale of e-cigarettes, while 88 countries have no minimum age restrictions for purchasing these harmful products.
Also, 74 countries have no regulations in place to control the sale and use of e-cigarettes.
The Director-General of WHO, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, expressed concern over the recruitment and addiction of children to e-cigarettes, while urging “countries to implement strict measures to prevent uptake to protect their citizens, especially their children and young people.
“Additionally, the use of e-cigarettes can negatively impact brain development and lead to learning disorders in young people. Pregnant women who are exposed to e-cigarettes also put their fetuses at risk of adverse development. Moreover, bystanders exposed to emissions from e-cigarettes are also at risk.”
WHO Director for Health Promotion, Dr. Ruediger Krech, expressed concern over tactics used by e-cigarette manufacturers to target children.
“With over 16,000 flavours available, some products use cartoon characters and sleek designs that appeal to the younger generation. This has resulted in an alarming increase in e-cigarette use among children and young people, with rates surpassing adult use in many countries,” he stated.
“Statistics from various regions support the urgency of the situation. In Canada, the rates of e-cigarette use among 16-19-year-olds have doubled between 2017 and 2022. Similarly, in England, the number of young users has tripled in the past three years.
“Studies have consistently shown that even brief exposure to e-cigarette content on social media can increase the intention to use these products and foster more positive attitudes toward e-cigarettes. Furthermore, young people who use e-cigarettes are nearly three times more likely to use traditional cigarettes later in life,” Krech added.
