E-Cigarettes: Deadly Trap For Kids, Says World Health Organization Report, Slamming Tobacco Industry’s Marketing Tactics
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the global tobacco industry watchdog STOP have unveiled a new report, “Hooking the Next Generation,” which exposes the tactics used by the tobacco and nicotine industry to ensnare youth worldwide. The report highlights how these industries allegedly design products, deploy marketing campaigns and influence policies to create a new generation of nicotine addicts.
According to the report, approximately 37 million children across the globe aged 13-15 years use tobacco. Alarmingly, in many countries, the rate of e-cigarette use among adolescents surpasses that of adults. In the WHO European Region alone, 20% of surveyed 15-year-olds reported using e-cigarettes within the past 30 days.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director general, condemned the industry’s tactics: “History is repeating, as the tobacco industry tries to sell the same nicotine to our children in different packaging. These industries are actively targeting schools, children, and young people with new products that are essentially a candy-flavoured trap. How can they talk about harm reduction when they are marketing these dangerous, highly addictive products to children?”
Traditional Tobacco Use Declines, But E-Cigs Are On The Rise
The report reveals that despite significant progress in reducing traditional tobacco use, the rise of e-cigarettes and other new nicotine products poses a severe threat to youth and global tobacco control efforts. Research indicates that e-cigarette use increases the likelihood of conventional cigarette use among non-smoking youth by nearly three times.
Dr. …