E-cigarettes
Review of e-cigarettes and movements in our members' countries
Call for strong actions to
protect children from tobacco harms
We echo the WHO’s call to action on e-cigarettes that urgent and strong decisive action to prevent uptake of e-cigarettes should be taken to protect children, as well as non-smokers and minimize health harms to the population.
According to the report ‘Hooking the next generation’, launched by WHO last week revealed that globally an estimated 37 million young people aged 13–15 years use tobacco and vaping. Tobacco industries continue to market their products to young people with enticing flavours like candy and fruit. The promotion of e-cigarettes has led to marked increases in e-cigarette use by children and young people, with rates exceeding adult use in many countries.
The members of International Network of Health Promotion Foundation (INHPF) are deeply concerned about this trend. We echo the World Health Organization’s call to action on e-cigarettes that urgent and strong decisive action to prevent uptake of e-cigarettes, which are harmful to health, should be taken to protect children, as well as non-smokers and minimize health harms to the population.
Electronic cigarettes come in thousands of flavours, which are particularly attractive to children and young people. There were approximately 16,000 unique flavours identified for e-cigarettes in 2017, more than double those in identified 2014. Many of the flavours appeal to young people and some mask the harshness of nicotine.
In conjunction with the World No Tobacco Day 31st May, 2024, themed ‘Protecting children from tobacco industry interference’, INHPF members and their partners will continue to promote awareness of the harms of tobacco and e-cigarette products, and take preventive measures to dissuade initiation among young people.
