World Health Organization Calls on Governments to Ban E-Cigarette Sales to Minors
Introduction: The World Health Organization suggests that governments should take measures to prohibit the sale of e-cigarettes to minors. The U.S. health authorities reported that between 2011 and 2013, the number of teenagers trying e-cigarettes in the U.S. doubled, raising concerns about a new generation of "addicts" emerging.<\/p>
According to a report by Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao on the 27th, the World Health Organization recommends that governments take measures to prohibit the sale of e-cigarettes to minors. The WHO also suggests banning e-cigarette use in public buildings until research shows that the vapor emitted by e-cigarettes is harmless to those nearby. Earlier, U.S. health authorities stated that between 2011 and 2013, the number of teenagers trying e-cigarettes in the U.S. doubled, raising concerns about a new generation of "addicts". Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that over 250,000 young people who had never smoked before used e-cigarettes in 2013. According to the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research, this number was twice that of young people using e-cigarettes in 2011. The U.S. National Youth Tobacco Survey showed that in 2011, 79,000 teenagers tried e-cigarettes, while this number exceeded 263,000 in 2013. Dr. Anne Schuchat, deputy director of the CDC, stated: "The trend of more young people using e-cigarettes is a warning for parents and healthcare providers." She added: "Especially for young people who have tried e-cigarettes, the likelihood of smoking traditional cigarettes is twice that of those who have never tried e-cigarettes." Research found that 44% of non-smoking teenagers who tried e-cigarettes indicated they planned to try traditional cigarettes in the following year. In contrast, only 22% of non-smoking teenagers who had never tried e-cigarettes said they would try traditional cigarettes. E-cigarettes are devices that resemble traditional cigarettes, which vaporize a solution containing a small amount of nicotine into an aerosol that is inhaled, similar to traditional cigarettes, but without smoke being emitted. These e-cigarette devices are currently unregulated in the U.S. market and can be sold to young people. Experts point out that fruit and candy-flavored e-cigarettes pose a greater risk to minors. <\/p>
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