New Delhi, Oct 7
While the number of tobacco users has dropped in recent years, the industry has devised new strategies driving a new wave of nicotine addiction with e-cigarettes, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said.
For the first time, the WHO in a new global report estimated global e-cigarette use -- and the numbers are alarming: more than 100 million people worldwide are now vaping. At least 86 million users, mostly in high-income countries, are adults.
Notably, at least 15 million children (13-15 years) are already using e-cigarettes. In countries with data, children are on average nine times more likely than adults to vape.
The WHO stated that this is not only undermining the progress achieved in controlling tobacco use, but also suggests that the tobacco epidemic is far from over.