Urgent action is needed to control e-cigarettes to protect children, as well as non-smokers and minimize
health harms to the population. E-cigarettes as consumer products are not shown to be effective for
quitting tobacco use at the population level. Instead, alarming evidence has emerged on adverse
population health effects.
E-cigarettes have been allowed on the open market and aggressively marketed to young people.
Thirty-four countries ban the sale of e-cigarettes, 88 countries have no minimum age at which
e-cigarettes can be bought and 74 countries have no regulations in place for these harmful
products.
“Kids are being recruited and trapped at an early age to use e-cigarettes and may get hooked
to nicotine," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. "I urge countries to
implement strict measures to prevent uptake to protect their citizens, especially their children
and young people.”
01/01/2024