E-cigarettes, or vapes, are on the rise, particularly amongst teens and young adults, who are attracted to their pretty packaging and range of sweet flavours. There is a common misconception that vaping is safer than cigarette smoking, but e-cigarettes cause health problems, too. Both vaping and smoking are highly addictive and bring potentially dangerous chemicals into your body.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), what is most concerning is how e-cigarettes are packaged and presented, with colourful designs and a range of flavours marketed at young people. This is in stark contrast to legal requirements for cigarette packaging, which, depending on the country, have to feature severe health warnings, graphic images of smoking-related illnesses, or in some cases, completely blank packaging. WHO have called for a ban on flavoured vapes and for governments to bring in similar rules to those governing cigarettes.
The US has banned some vape flavours like mint and fruit. New Zealand has banned most disposable vapes with flavours that appeal to teens. In Australia, vapes will be available on prescription only, for smokers who want to quit tobacco. The Indonesian government has imposed a tax on e-cigarettes, while many other countries, including South Korea, China, India and Brazil, have announced very strict vape rules. The UK has recently announced a ban on disposable vapes, and Ireland and Germany are considering similar measures.
While more than 30 countries have banned vaping, it is largely unregulated in others. According to WHO, currently 88 countries have no minimum age at which e-cigarettes can be bought and 74 countries have no regulations in place whatsoever.
