WHO Blasts E-Cigarettes: The Hidden Dangers of Vaping Flavours
You may think that vaping is a safer alternative to smoking, but the World Health Organization (WHO) disagrees. On Thursday, the WHO issued a strong statement, urging governments to treat e-cigarettes like tobacco and ban all flavours, which it says are luring young people into nicotine addiction and exposing them to serious health risks.
The WHO said that there is not enough evidence to support the claim that e-cigarettes help smokers quit, and that they are actually harmful to health. According to the WHO, e-cigarettes contain toxic chemicals, some of which can cause cancer, and damage the lungs, heart and brain. The WHO also warned that e-cigarettes can increase the risk of nicotine addiction among non-smokers, especially children and young people, who are more vulnerable to the effects of nicotine on brain development.
Also, more 13–15-year-olds are using e-cigarettes than adults in all WHO regions, thanks to aggressive marketing and appealing flavours. “Kids are being recruited and trapped at an early age to use e-cigarettes and may get hooked to nicotine,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus WHO Director-General, calling for strict measures to protect them.
The WHO recommended that all countries ban the sale, manufacture and promotion of flavoured e-cigarettes, as well as restrict their use in public places and apply tobacco control measures to them. These include high taxes, health warnings and age limits.
The WHO has no power to enforce its recommendations, but it hopes that governments will follow its advice. The WHO and some other anti-tobacco organisations are pushing for tighter regulations on newer nicotine products, targeting the alternatives that some tobacco companies are relying on for their future growth.
Some tobacco companies, such as Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco, are investing heavily in e-cigarettes and other cigarette alternatives, hoping to offset the decline in their traditional business as more people quit smoking or switch to less harmful products. The industry argues that e-cigarettes are much safer than tobacco and can help smokers quit or reduce their harm, and that flavors and lower prices are important to encourage them to switch. Some tobacco control advocates agree with this view, but others are skeptical and wary of the industry’s motives.
