Estonia Youth Vaping Rates Among Europe’s Highest, Especially Among Girls
Estonia is grappling with one of the highest rates of youth vaping in Europe, with a particularly sharp increase observed among young girls, according to a new international study covering 37 countries. The findings highlight a concerning public health trend, with experts warning that the common belief among young people that vaping is harmless is dangerously inaccurate.
Pulmonologist Ãœlle Ani emphasized that e-cigarette aerosol is not just water vapor. “What they inhale from an e-cigarette contains at least 200 different chemical compounds, including nicotine… This is not vapor; it is smoke which being inhaled,” she told “Aktuaalne kaamera.” The report noted that nine out of ten e-cigarette products favored by young people contain nicotine, and nearly 70% contain flavorings.
According to the study, only Hungary and Slovakia have worse youth vaping rates. Sigrid Vorobjov, head of risk behavior studies at the National Institute for Health Development (TAI), pointed out that while youth vaping is rising elsewhere, the increase among girls in Estonia is particularly sharp. The age of initiation is also alarmingly low: one in three Estonian children under the age of 13 has tried an e-cigarette, compared to just one in twenty in Portugal. Among this under-13 age group, 30% of girls report having vaped, slightly higher than boys (29%).
School officials, like Edgar Roditšenko, head of Mahtra school in Tallinn, confirm vaping is a widespread problem, partly due to a lack of parental concern in some cases. He noted that the appealing tastes are a major draw for children as young as 11. A recent Estonian law banning flavored heated tobacco products, which enacts an EU directive, does not currently cover vaping and e-cigarettes.
- Read more: Estonia Bans Sale of Flavored Heated Tobacco Products
- Reference: E-cigarette use among Estonian youth is among Europe’s highest
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