A Rising Epidemic: WHO Sounds The Alarm On E-Cigarettes And Heated Tobacco Products

The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised critical concerns over the widespread availability and aggressive marketing of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTPs), particularly targeting young people.

The WHO paints a worrying picture: in a digital age where social media dominates, e-cigarette manufacturers have perfected the art of appealing to young audiences.

While these products have been touted by some as alternatives to traditional cigarettes, mounting evidence highlights their dangers, addiction risks, and alarming appeal to a younger generation.

E-Cigarettes: A Misleading Promise

E-cigarettes, the most common type of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), work by heating a liquid—often laced with nicotine, additives, and flavorings—to produce aerosols inhaled by the user.

Some products claim to be nicotine-free, yet have been found to contain harmful amounts of the addictive substance. Despite lacking tobacco, these products are far from harmless.

Their emissions are toxic to both users and bystanders, with long-term health risks still under investigation.

WHO emphasizes that nicotine exposure in adolescents and children can impair brain development, leading to learning and anxiety disorders. For pregnant women, nicotine can have irreversible adverse effects on fetal growth.

Worse, studies show that e-cigarette use triples the likelihood of young non-smokers picking up conventional cigarettes, a gateway effect that endangers global progress in tobacco control.

Youth Marketing: A Dangerous Trend

The WHO paints a worrying picture: in a digital age where social media dominates, e-cigarette manufacturers have perfected the art of appealing to young audiences.

Sleek designs resembling toys and gadgets, social media influencers, and over 16,000 enticing flavors like cotton candy and bubblegum are tailored to capture the imagination of children and teenagers.

The consequences are staggering. E-cigarette usage among youth is rising globally, with prevalence now surpassing adult rates in many countries.

Shockingly, 88 countries still lack age restrictions on e-cigarette sales, while 74 nations have no regulatory framework to control their production and distribution. Without intervention, this dangerous trend threatens to create a new generation addicted to nicotine.

Lung Injuries and Toxic Exposure

While e-cigarette advocates claim these products are safer than conventional tobacco, emerging evidence says otherwise. In 2019, the United States faced a severe outbreak of e-cigarette or vaping-associated lung injury (EVALI), with over 2,800 reported cases and 68 confirmed deaths.

Investigations identified vitamin E acetate, commonly found in THC-containing vaping products, as a primary culprit, although other toxic chemicals may have contributed to the crisis.

WHO underscores that e-cigarettes and HTPs produce harmful emissions, including substances known to cause cancer and elevate the risk of heart and lung disease. Dual use—where smokers use both conventional and electronic products—is even more dangerous, compounding the health risks.

Heated Tobacco Products: No Safe Alternative

HTPs, such as the IQOS Tobacco Heating System, are often marketed under the guise of reduced harm. However, WHO warns that these claims are misleading. HTP aerosols contain not only similar toxins found in cigarette smoke but also additional harmful chemicals.

The long-term health implications remain unknown, but early data suggests significant risks to human health.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized HTPs under specific conditions but categorically rejected claims of reduced health risks. Importantly, the FDA clarified that these products are not safe and emphasized the need for monitoring youth awareness and usage to prevent unintended consequences.

Policy Options: Protecting Public Health

The World Health Organization (WHO) urges governments worldwide to implement robust policies to combat the rising threat of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTPs). 

Key recommendations include banning all flavors to eliminate their appeal to children and young users, enforcing strict regulations to limit nicotine content, improve product safety, and impose taxation to reduce consumption, and prioritizing proven cessation strategies such as nicotine replacement therapies, toll-free quit lines, and health professional interventions over unproven e-cigarette cessation claims.

Countries like Brazil, India, and Thailand have already set a precedent by banning e-cigarettes, while WHO emphasizes that nations permitting their commercialization must enforce stronger age restrictions, marketing bans, and product safety standards.

A Call to Action

The tobacco industry, long known for its devastating impact on global health, has shifted its focus to e-cigarettes and HTPs as a new profit frontier.

WHO warns that industry-backed narratives promoting these products as harm-reduction tools are deceptive. Instead of reducing harm, they widen nicotine addiction’s reach—especially among vulnerable groups.

WHO’s message is clear: E-cigarettes and heated tobacco products pose significant risks to health and safety. Protecting future generations requires urgent action from policymakers, health advocates, and communities alike.

Regulation, education, and proven cessation interventions must be scaled up to combat this rising epidemic.

For individuals, the safest choice remains unwavering: Do not use tobacco products or electronic nicotine delivery systems. Health cannot be gambled with.

As the WHO amplifies its call for global action, it is imperative that governments, families, and health leaders prioritize the well-being of our youth. The battle against nicotine addiction demands vigilance, bold policy changes, and collective responsibility. The time to act is now—before it’s too late.