More than 100 million people, featuring at minimum 15 million children, currently employ e-cigarettes, driving a recent surge of nicotine addiction, according to latest international health findings.
Youth are, usually, nine times more inclined than grown-ups to engage in vaping, according to existing global figures.
Electronic cigarettes are propelling a "new wave" of nicotine addiction, commented a leading health expert. "They are marketed as damage limitation but, actually, are addicting youth on nicotine sooner and threaten weakening generations of improvement."
"Countless of citizens are stopping, or refraining from tobacco use because of tobacco restriction initiatives by nations around the globe," the official said.
"As an answer to this strong advancement, the tobacco sector is pushing back with novel nicotine products, forcefully targeting young people. Administrations must act faster and more forcefully in applying established tobacco-control measures," he further stated.
The vaping numbers are a projection since some states - 109 in all, and many in African and South-East Asia - do not gather statistics.
Based on the report, as of recent February this period, at minimum 86 million e-cigarette consumers were mature individuals, primarily in developed countries.
And at bare minimum 15 million adolescents between the ages of 13 and 15 presently engage in vaping, according to surveys from 123 nations.
Even though numerous states have tried to implement e-cigarette policies to combat underage vaping in recent years, by the end of 2024, 62 countries even now had no measure in operation, and 74 states had no minimum age at which e-cigarettes can be purchased, reports the public health organization.
Simultaneously, tobacco use has been dropping - from an approximated 1.38 billion users in 2000 to 1.2 billion in 2024.
Prevalence of tobacco consumption among women decreased the greatest - from 11% in 2010 to 6.6% in 2024.
For men, the decrease was from 41.4% in 2010 to 32.5% in 2024.
But one in five of mature individuals internationally yet consumes tobacco.
Smoking is linked to numerous diseases, including cancer.
Specialists claim vaping is significantly less damaging than traditional cigarettes, and can aid you stop smoking. It is not recommended for individuals who avoid tobacco.
Vaping devices eliminate burning tobacco and avoid generating black substance or carbon monoxide, a pair of the most harmful substances in tobacco vapors. They contain nicotine, which may be habit-forming.
Elara is a science writer and astronomer with a passion for unraveling cosmic mysteries and sharing insights with readers worldwide.