At least 15 million youths aged 13 to 15 use e-cigarettes globally, with teenagers up to nine times more likely to vape than adults, the World Health Organization reported today. This marks the WHO’s first global estimate of vaping, showing over 100 million users worldwide, including 86 million adults, mostly in high-income nations. While tobacco use has fallen from 1.38 billion users in 2000 to 1.2 billion in 2024, the industry has shifted toward vapes to maintain profits.

 

 

The WHO warned that e-cigarettes are fueling a new wave of nicotine addiction among youth, despite claims they help adults quit. Governments are struggling to balance harm reduction benefits with growing risks. Europe now leads in tobacco prevalence, with nearly one in five adults globally still using tobacco products.