Republican Center for Organization of Medical Response

   According to the WHO report, despite significant progress in reducing tobacco use, the emergence of e-cigarettes and other new tobacco and nicotine products poses a serious threat to youth and undermines tobacco control measures. Research shows that using e-cigarettes nearly triples the likelihood of starting to smoke regular cigarettes, especially among non-smoking youth.

   According to data for 2022, at least 37 million young people aged 13-15 worldwide use tobacco in some form, with the level of e-cigarette use among adolescents in some countries being higher than among adults.

   In the WHO European Region in 2022, 12.5% of adolescents and only 2% of adults used e-cigarettes, and 11.5% of boys and 10.1% of girls aged 13 to 15 (a total of 4 million people) used tobacco.

   Governments around the world are taking various measures to protect young people from the impact of tobacco products. Some of these measures include banning advertising and sponsorship, raising taxes on tobacco products, enforcing laws prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to minors, implementing various educational programs to inform young people about the dangers of tobacco and nicotine, and introducing strict packaging and labeling requirements for tobacco products, including graphic warnings about the dangers of smoking.

   World No Tobacco Day is an opportunity for each of us to contribute to creating a healthier future.