Overview
- WHO's new global report estimates more than 100 million vapers worldwide, with at least 15 million users aged 13–15, largely in high‑income countries.
- The agency reports about 40 million children 13–15 currently consume tobacco, with some starting well before age 10 in certain countries.
- Despite long‑term declines in adult smoking from 1.38 billion in 2000 to 1.2 billion in 2024, tobacco still kills over seven million people annually plus more than one million from secondhand smoke.
- Director‑General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warns the industry is pushing new nicotine products that target young people and calls for quicker, tougher government action.
- Lead author Alison Commar says children are heavily exposed to online advertising and influencer content, which regulators find difficult to police.