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WHO Sounds Alarm on Youth Nicotine Use as FCTC Nations Prepare Geneva Talks

WHO figures put e-cigarette experimentation among 13–15-year-olds at 15 million, setting the stage for FCTC parties to weigh proposed flavor and filter bans in Geneva next week.

Overview

  • Delegates from 183 parties to the tobacco control treaty will meet in Geneva on November 17–22 to address rising youth dependence and broader regulation.
  • An expert group has proposed banning e-cigarette flavorings and cigarette filters, citing products’ appeal to adolescents and environmental damage from discarded butts.
  • WHO reports that e-cigarettes are more popular with young people than conventional cigarettes, with widespread use among early teens.
  • A U.S. study found daily vaping among students nearly doubled between 2020 and 2024.
  • FCTC Secretariat acting head Andrew Black estimates tobacco kills about seven million people annually, and 71 states will gather on November 24–26 to discuss curbing illicit trade.