Over 100 hundred million users, featuring at least 15 million youth, currently use e-cigarettes, driving a new surge of nicotine addiction, as stated by current global health findings.
Youth are, typically, nine times more likely than adults to use e-cigarettes, per current worldwide statistics.
Electronic cigarettes are driving a "new wave" of nicotine addiction, stated a prominent health expert. "These devices are marketed as damage limitation but, truthfully, are hooking youth on nicotine at younger ages and endanger compromising decades of improvement."
"Millions of individuals are ceasing, or avoiding tobacco usage thanks to tobacco control initiatives by states across the world," he said.
"As a reaction to this substantial improvement, the tobacco industry is fighting back with recent nicotine devices, actively aiming at young people. Administrations must respond more rapidly and stronger in applying established tobacco-control regulations," the representative continued.
The e-cigarette numbers are an approximation since several countries - 109 in all, and many in Africa and Asian regions - do not gather data.
Based on the analysis, as of this past February this period, at bare minimum 86 million e-cigarette users were adults, mostly in developed countries.
And at least 15 million youth aged 13 and 15 already use e-cigarettes, per research from 123 countries.
While many nations have made efforts to establish e-cigarette regulations to address youth vaping in recent years, by the conclusion of 2024, 62 countries still had no measure in effect, and 74 countries had no age limit at which e-cigarettes can be purchased, states the health body.
At the same time, tobacco use has been dropping - from an estimated 1.38 billion consumers in 2000 to 1.2 billion in 2024.
Frequency of tobacco use among females decreased the largest - from 11% in 2010 to 6.6% in 2024.
For males, the drop was from 41.4% in 2010 to 32.5% in 2024.
But 20% of mature individuals internationally still employs tobacco.
Smoking is connected to numerous conditions, including cancer.
Specialists say vaping is significantly less damaging than traditional cigarettes, and can assist you quit smoking. It is advised against for non-smokers.
Vaping devices avoid burning tobacco and do not create tar or toxic gas, a couple of the most damaging elements in tobacco vapors. They contain nicotine, which may be habit-forming.