WHO on e-cigarettes: kids, non-smokers need to be urgently protected

Written by a human

World Health Organization (WHO) issued a press release today on the harm e-cigarettes are causing, saying that children aged 13-15 are vaping more than adults in all its six regions (African, the Americas, South-East Asian, European, Eastern Mediterranian and Western Pacific).

Using vaping devices in order to quit tobacco use has not been seen to be effective at the population level, WHO clarified also for people trying to quit tobacco by using e-cigarettes.

WHO also said that nicotine-based e-cigarettes generate toxic substances, some of which increase the risk of lung and heart disorders and some are known to be causing cancer.

E-cigarette liquids with nicotine are highly addictive, but non-nicotine liquids are also harmful.

E-cigarette liquids that do not contain nicotine are also toxic if come in contact with skin or swallowed. Since many of them are also sold in California, they are required by the state’s Proposition (PROP) 65 to provide warnings “about significant exposures to chemicals that cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm.”

Acetaldehyde and formaldehyde, which are two chemicals that e-cigarette users are exposed to, are known to the state of California to be causing cancer. Non-nicotine-based e-cigarette liquids, too, contain propylene glycol and glycerin, which can thermally degrade to form the two chemicals and acrolein upon getting heated in e-cigarettes.

In 162 countries, said WHO in the news release it sent out to members of the press and which US and Global News also received, vaping devices “have been allowed on the open market and aggressively marketed to young people.”

WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “Kids are being recruited and trapped at an early age to use e-cigarettes and may get hooked to nicotine. I urge countries to implement strict measures to prevent uptake to protect their citizens, especially their children and young people.”

The full WHO press release is available to be read here.