LONDON (Reuters) – The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged governments to regulate e-cigarettes in a similar manner to traditional tobacco products and to ban all flavorings, a move which could jeopardize cigarette companies’ investments in smoking alternatives.
While some researchers, campaigners, and governments believe that e-cigarettes, or vapes, could help reduce smoking-related deaths and diseases, the U.N. agency emphasized the need for “urgent measures” to control them.
Relying on studies, the WHO stated that there is insufficient evidence to support the effectiveness of vapes in helping smokers quit, and that these products are harmful to health and could lead to nicotine addiction, particularly among non-smokers, including children and young people. It also noted that more 13-15 year olds are using vapes than adults due to aggressive marketing tactics.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that children are being lured into using e-cigarettes at an early age and may become addicted to nicotine, urging countries to implement strict measures to address this issue.
The WHO has called for various changes, including bans on all flavoring agents such as menthol, along with the application of tobacco control measures to vapes, including high taxes and bans on their use in public places.
Although the WHO does not have the authority to enforce national regulations, its recommendations are often voluntarily adopted. The organization, along with other anti-tobacco groups, is pushing for stricter regulations on newer nicotine products, targeting the alternatives that some cigarette giants, like Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco, are banking on for their future strategies.
With traditional cigarette businesses facing increasing regulatory restrictions and declining smoking rates in certain markets, major tobacco companies are seeking to establish new revenue streams from cigarette alternatives. These companies argue that vapes pose significantly lower health risks than traditional tobacco and can help reduce its harms, with some flavors and lower prices being important incentives for smokers to transition to these alternatives, a position echoed by some tobacco control advocates.
However, the WHO contended that vapes generate substances, some of which are known to cause cancer and pose risks to heart and lung health. It also highlighted that vapes can harm brain development in young people, citing various studies.
(Reporting by Emma Rumney; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
