This Friday, May 31, is World Tobacco Prevention Day, which kills nearly six million people worldwide each year, 75,000 in France alone. Tobacco among young people is also a reality, says the WHO, it affects 37 million children worldwide, between 13 and 15 years old. And more and more, electronic cigarettes are gaining ground over traditional cigarettes.
Increasingly among young people, the electronic cigarette wins on the classic cigarette. The problem is that it is sold more as candy than as a product harmful to health.
The WHO conducted a survey of 15-year-old adolescents in Europe. Verdict: 20% of them say they have vaped at least once in the last month. Globally, there are now more minors than adults using electronic cigarettes. This is no surprise for Dr Ruediger Krech, reports our correspondent in Geneva, Jeremy Lanche.
The electronic cigarette, but also the pouches, the snus… All these products based on tobacco or nicotine are often sold in brightly colored packaging that is more reminiscent of a soda or a bag of candy.
Knowing where to find smokers and how to target them to help them quit is essential. According to the Social Observatory of Drugs and Addictive Tendencies, the social cost of tobacco is 156 billion euros per year.
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