Overview

• WHO estimates at least 15 million children aged 13–15 use e‑cigarettes worldwide, signaling an alarming rise in dependence.
• Global e‑cigarette use now exceeds 100 million people, with uptake concentrated mainly in high‑income countries.
• Officials say companies frame vapes as less harmful while aggressively targeting young people, fostering earlier addiction.
• Children are heavily exposed to online advertising, and influencer content complicates efforts to regulate promotion.
• Adult smoking fell from 1.38 billion in 2000 to 1.2 billion in 2024, yet tobacco still causes over seven million deaths annually, prompting calls for faster, tougher regulation.