October 7, 2025 – Geneva – The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised urgent concerns over the escalating use of e-cigarettes among adolescents, revealing that at least 15 million teenagers aged 13 to 15 are currently using e-cigarettes worldwide. This alarming statistic underscores a significant public health issue, as teenagers are, on average, nine times more likely to vape than adults in countries with available data.
In its inaugural global estimate of e-cigarette use, the WHO reported that the total number of e-cigarette users has surpassed 100 million, with 86 million adults primarily in high-income nations. Despite a decline in global tobacco use—from 1.38 billion in 2000 to 1.2 billion in 2024—the tobacco industry has increasingly shifted focus to alternative products like e-cigarettes to compensate for declining sales.
WHO officials warn that e-cigarettes are fueling a new wave of nicotine addiction among youth, undermining decades of progress in tobacco control. While marketed as harm-reduction tools, e-cigarettes are “hooking kids on nicotine earlier,” according to Etienne Krug, director of the WHO department for health determinants, promotion, and prevention.
The rise in teen vaping is attributed to various factors, including aggressive marketing strategies by the tobacco industry, the appeal of flavored e-cigarettes, and the perception of vaping as a safer alternative to smoking. Health experts emphasize the need for stronger regulations and public health campaigns to address this growing concern and protect adolescent health.
