(VOVWORLD) - Children are using e-cigarettes at rates higher than adults in many countries and globally an estimated 37 million youth aged 13–15 years use tobacco, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in its latest report “Hooking the next generation”, on Thursday.
 (Photo: Health Policy Watch) |
The report was released ahead of the upcoming World No-Tobacco Day on May 31.
In the WHO European Region, e-cigarettes have overtaken conventional cigarettes in popularity, with 20% of 15-year olds surveyed reporting e-cigarette use at some point in the past 30 days.
The report said tobacco companies are still actively targeting young people via social media, sports and music festivals and new, flavoured products, accusing these companies of trying to hook a new generation on nicotine.
WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that “history is repeating, as the tobacco industry tries to sell the same nicotine to children in different packaging.”
Young people who use e-cigarettes are almost three times more likely to use traditional cigarettes later in life, posing significant health risks, the report said.
"It is the responsibility of adults to protect children. It’s therefore high time for Governments to protect current and future generations from the devastating effects of tobacco use by adopting strong measures in line with the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control," WHO’s Director of the Department of Health Promotion, Dr. Rüdiger Krech, said.
According to WHO, governments should implement and enforce comprehensive TAPS (Tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship) bans and establish control mechanisms to address digital and cross border marketing and the depiction of tobacco in entertainment.