Head of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, stated that electronic cigarettes are now considered ‘harmful’ and hence their use should be regulated to protect children and teenagers.
E-cigarettes and vape pens are use in order to simulate the sensation of smoking without the need to actually smoke a real cigarette. However, WHO warned governments need to prevent ‘renormalizing smoking behaviour’ and should bring in measures to prevent non-smokers from starting to use e-cigarettes, amid fears that the array of different flavours and colours could ‘hook children on nicotine.’
According to WHO reviews, children and teenagers who are using e-cigarettes are twice as likely to shift to conventional cigarettes later on. In the UK, the sale of e-cigarettes is prohibited to those under the age of 18. However, a report stated that the enforcement should be reviewed and improved, both for vaping and smoking. The report found in March 2020 that 4.8% of young people aged between 11 and 18 vaped at least once a month. One fifth of the teenagers said that they have tried vaping before smoking actual cigarettes.
