Health experts say e-cigarettes compromise children's rights

Public health experts from England, Australia, and the Netherlands report in the British Medical Journal a significant increase in e-cigarette use among children and adolescents.[1]. Globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 7.2% of young people aged 13 to 15 vape, based on data from 123 countries studied, and that 13- to 15-year-olds vape nine times more often than adults, based on data from 63 countries studied.[2]. The prevalence is higher in high-income countries, but the upward trend is also observed in low- and middle-income countries. This undermines children's human rights, guaranteed by several international treaties, which commit states to strictly regulating this product.

Vaping is spreading a widespread nicotine epidemic among minors

The prevalence of vaping among minors, often non-smokers, is rising in several countries, surpassing that of adults everywhere. For example, in the Netherlands, in April 2025, 22% of 15- and 16-year-olds had vaped in the month preceding the survey, and 8% vaped daily, while only 3.1% of adults vaped regularly.[3]. In the United Kingdom, schools report frequent instances of vaping in toilets, with consequences for class attendance, student concentration, and the school climate. The country now has more vapers than smokers.. In the United States, the use of electronic cigarettes among young people has been described as "« epidemic » by the Surgeon General as early as 2018, after an unprecedented increase observed among adolescents.

Short-term adverse effects have been observed in young users, including respiratory problems, anxiety, device-related injuries, and adverse cardiovascular indicators.

Because brain development continues until around age 25, adolescents are particularly vulnerable to the effects of nicotine. Nicotine is associated with potential impacts on attention, memory, mood, and cognitive abilities, as well as an increased risk of addiction.

Scientific research suggests a link between e-cigarette use and subsequent initiation of tobacco use. One study indicates that nearly half of e-cigarette users also continue to smoke traditional cigarettes and are referred to as "dual users."«[4]. Not only does nicotine addiction facilitate the transition to other products containing it, but there is a real risk of accumulating forms of smoking.

This consumption undermines children's rights and the international conventions related to them.

The International Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), adopted in 1989 and ratified by almost all UN member states, recognizes the right of the child to enjoy the highest attainable standard of health (Article 24) and establishes the principle of "the best interests of the child" as the basis for any policy concerning minors (Article 3).

This legal framework is closely linked to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which explicitly refers to Article 24 of the CRC in its preamble, and commits States to preventing tobacco use and nicotine addiction in its Article 5.2b.

In 2013, the Committee on the Rights of the Child recommended that States strengthen regulations on harmful substances, including those made accessible to children through advertising or commercial distribution, such as e-cigarettes. From this perspective, protecting the health of minors is a legal obligation, not merely a public policy objective.

The WHO calls for strict regulation of vaping and rejection of industry influence

The WHO is therefore calling on governments to take action in response to the increasing use of e-cigarettes among young people. The recommended measures are based on levers already proven in the fight against tobacco: bans on advertising, age restrictions, bans on flavors, plain packaging, regulation of points of sale with a ban on online sales, and the development of smoke-free and vaping-free spaces.

States are also urged to anticipate law enforcement challenges, particularly in the areas of online commerce, digital marketing and cross-border sales, in order to ensure effective protection of minors.

The concept of "harm reduction" is currently being misused by the tobacco and nicotine industry to justify the marketing of new nicotine products. While this concept of harm reduction may be relevant in the individual relationship between healthcare professionals and smoking patients when approved treatments have failed, its application to a broad public, including non-smokers and minors, perpetuates the epidemic instead of combating it. Health experts argue that any potential benefits for some adults cannot be equated with an overall reduction in risk for the population.

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[1]Tom Gatehouse, Emily Banks, Brigit Toebes, Raouf Alebshehy, How e-cigarettes compromise children's human rights, The British Medical Journal, published November 12, 2025, accessed November 26, 2025

[2]WHO, WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000-2024 and projections 2025-2030, Published in 2025, accessed on November 26, 2025

[3]Tabaknee, ‘'E-sigaretten zijn strijdig met kinderrechten'’, Published on November 25, 2025, accessed on November 26, 2025

[4]Sulamunn RM Coleman, Megan E Piper, M Justin Byron, Krysten W Bold, Dual Use of Combustible Cigarettes and E-cigarettes: a Narrative Review of Current Evidence, Curr Addict Rep. 2022 Oct 17;9(4):353–362, published October 17, 2022, accessed November 26, 2025

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