GENEVA — More than 100 million people worldwide — including at least 15 million children — are now using e-cigarettes, fueling what the World Health Organization (WHO) has described as a “new wave” of nicotine addiction.

In a new report, the WHO said that children are, on average, nine times more likely than adults to vape, warning that the tobacco industry’s aggressive marketing is undermining decades of progress in global tobacco control.

Dr. Etienne Krug, WHO Director for Social Determinants of Health, said e-cigarettes were “fuelling a new wave of nicotine addiction.”

He added: “They are marketed as harm reduction, but in reality, are hooking kids on nicotine earlier and risk undermining decades of progress.”

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus accused the tobacco industry of “aggressively targeting” young people.

“Millions of people are stopping, or not taking up, tobacco use thanks to tobacco control efforts by countries around the world,” he said.

“In response to this strong progress, the tobacco industry is fighting back with new nicotine products, aggressively targeting young people. Governments must act faster and stronger in implementing proven tobacco-control policies.”

The WHO estimates that as of February 2025, there are at least 86 million adult e-cigarette users — mostly in high-income countries — and 15 million adolescent vapers aged 13 to 15, based on surveys from 123 countries.

However, the figures may be higher, as 109 countries, particularly in Africa and Southeast Asia, do not collect data on e-cigarette use.

Despite growing awareness of vaping risks, the WHO said 62 countries still have no regulations on e-cigarettes, and 74 have no legal minimum age for purchase.

Meanwhile, global tobacco use continues to decline — from 1.38 billion users in 2000 to 1.2 billion in 2024. Tobacco use among women fell from 11% in 2010 to 6.6% in 2024, and among men from 41.4% to 32.5% in the same period.

Still, one in five adults worldwide continues to use tobacco, a leading cause of cancer and other chronic diseases.

Health experts note that while e-cigarettes are less harmful than traditional cigarettes — as they do not burn tobacco or produce tar and carbon monoxide — they remain addictive due to their nicotine content and are not recommended for non-smokers. — Agencies