Say no to e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products to protect the young generation

According to Mr. Jorge Alday, an expert from Vital Strategies, Vietnam needs to say no to e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products to protect the young generation.

Vital Strategies experts warn that heated tobacco users are exposed to a variety of harmful chemicals, including carcinogens and toxins.

Although some of these substances are reduced compared to conventional cigarettes, they are not completely absent, and some are even found in higher concentrations in heated tobacco.

Illustration photo.

However, because they contain tobacco, it is certain that heated tobacco products are harmful and addictive to non-smokers, such as young people.

Adolescents are more likely to try heated tobacco than adults, and youth use is therefore increasing, particularly in Asia, including Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan.

Both heated tobacco and e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is highly addictive — more addictive than heroin or cocaine.

In addition to making them addicted to deadly products, nicotine has long-term side effects in children and teens: it is harmful to brain development and linked to mental health problems, such as anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation.

Heated tobacco products and e-cigarettes cause harm to health and the environment, both of which are costly for society to remedy. Furthermore, such products are used by the tobacco industry to oppose or circumvent policies intended to reduce these harms.

Thus, despite falling smoking rates, by addicting a whole new generation, these products undermine public health and increase the burden on public services and the economy.

The use of heated tobacco products and e-cigarettes is on the rise worldwide, especially among young people, according to Jorge Alday. Global Tobacco Industry Watch (STOP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have jointly published a new report on how the tobacco industry creates an environment that promotes youth uptake.

A major factor is the relentless advertising and marketing tactics the industry uses, including flashy packaging, using social media influencers (KOLs) and promoting products at places where young people congregate, such as music festivals.

WHO estimates that, globally, in most countries measured, the use of electronic products from the industry is more common among young people than among older generations. Although research data is limited, the use of these products by young people appears to be increasing in Vietnam.

In a recent report co-published by WHO and STOP, Vital Strategies identified that one of the tobacco industry’s key tactics is to position many nicotine products as “safer” than cigarettes.

When young people receive this message through relentless marketing and through multiple channels, they are more likely to try products because they believe they are “safe.”

This marketing combined with the highly addictive nature of nicotine means that young people can easily become hooked on harmful industrial products while their brains are still developing and entering adulthood, where the harmful effects are still unknown.

In response to the question of what solutions are needed to prevent and limit the use of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco, according to Mr. Jorge Alday, the Government should protect people from becoming experimental subjects of the tobacco industry for addictive and harmful products.

The tobacco and nicotine industry is known to manipulate scientific research and information about its products to its advantage, so all countries, including Vietnam, must be extremely skeptical and wary of scientific evidence suggesting that heated tobacco products are less harmful or less helpful in helping smokers quit.

In fact, there is no evidence that heated tobacco products are effective in helping people quit smoking; rather, there is evidence that such products are being used in conjunction with cigarettes.

Even if non-smokers, especially young people, start using them, putting them on the market would not benefit public health.

It is worth noting that in many countries, the introduction of products such as heated tobacco and e-cigarettes has led to stagnation in smoking reductions and increased nicotine use.

STOP is a network of public health and academic organizations working globally as part of the Bloomberg Initiative to reduce tobacco use.

STOP connects experts to monitor every aspect of the tobacco industry to uncover, expose and counter the global tobacco industry's relentless efforts to sell addictive and harmful products.

Source: https://baodautu.vn/noi-khong-voi-thuoc-la-dien-tu-va-thuoc-la-nung-nong-de-bao-ve-the-he-tre-d227079.html