WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Young people are using e-cigarettes at rates higher than adults in many countries, says a report by the World Health Organization and STOP, a global tobacco industry watchdog.
The report, titled 'Hooking the next generation,' highlights how the tobacco and nicotine industry designs products, implements marketing campaigns and works to shape policy environments to help them addict the world's youth.
The report shows that globally an estimated 37 million children aged 13-15 years use tobacco, and in many countries, the rate of e-cigarette use among adolescents exceeds that of adults. In the WHO European Region, 20 percent of 15-year-olds surveyed reported using e-cigarettes in the past 30 days.
Despite significant progress in reducing tobacco use, the emergence of e-cigarettes and other new tobacco and nicotine products present a grave threat to youth and tobacco control, WHO said in a press release. Studies demonstrate that e-cigarette use increases conventional cigarette use, particularly among non-smoking youth, by nearly three times.
'History is repeating, as the tobacco industry tries to sell the same nicotine to our children in different packaging,' said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. 'These industries are actively targeting schools, children and young people with new products that are essentially a candy-flavored trap. How can they talk about harm reduction when they are marketing these dangerous, highly-addictive products to children?'
These industries continue to market their products to young people with enticing flavors like candy and fruit. Research in the United States found that more than 70 percent of youth e-cigarette users would quit if the products were only available in tobacco flavour.
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