WHO sounds alarm on 'harmful' e-cigarettes
AFP
28th July, 2021 09:35:28 AM
Electronic cigarettes and similar devices are dangerous to health and must be regulated to curb the tobacco industry's "criminal" tactics to get young people hooked on nicotine, the World Health Organization warned Tuesday.
"Nicotine is highly addictive. Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) are harmful, and must be better regulated," said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic 2021, which focused on new and emerging products, was published on Tuesday.
It said ENDS should be tightly regulated for maximum public health protection.
"Where they are not banned, governments should adopt appropriate policies to protect their populations from the harms of ENDS, and to prevent their uptake by children, adolescents and other vulnerable groups," Tedros said.