One in every four students has already initiated into nicotine use, and for the majority of them, the first product they reached for was an e-cigarette. The vast majority of students using nicotine rely on e-cigarettes, and almost half of them have no problem purchasing them – according to new research conducted on the occasion of World No Smoking Day. Experts emphasize that nicotine-free e-cigarettes are also a dangerous product, due to the risk of behavioral addiction. Work is underway on regulations that will, among other things, ban their sale to minors.
A study prepared by the Warsaw Rotary Club and the Institute of Social and Market Research for World No Smoking Day (21 November), on a sample of people aged 15-17, shows that e-cigarettes are the most attractive nicotine product for young people. As many as 83 percent of respondents believe that access to nicotine products is easy or very easy. 74 percent of respondents encounter no obstacles in purchasing these products.
“E-cigarettes definitely lead the way in backpacks, in students’ pockets, Polish children. This is evidenced by studies, including those conducted earlier this year in Szczecin schools by the Lung Cancer Combat Association, as well as studies conducted previously by the Patient’s Rights Spokesperson. Currently, over 70 percent of children who smoke, say they smoke electronic products, mainly disposable and flavored ones.” says Izabella Dessoulavy-Gładysz, President of the Mental Power – Foundation for Brain Health, speaking to Newseria Biznes Agency.
As per the study conducted by CBOS for the Polish Society for Advancements in Medicine MEDICINE XXI, among the students using nicotine, e-cigarettes dominate significantly (90 percent.) The main reasons for young people reaching for nicotine products are: interesting flavors (53.8 percent indications), the desire to try something new (32.1 percent), fashion among peers and the belief that using nicotine products “looks cool” (10.3 percent each).
– “These products are tasty, they have a whole variety, about 8,000 different flavors: melons, chewing gum, popcorn, coca-cola, they don’t stink because they only give off steam, so their smoking gives great pleasure. They also contain nicotine, which is very addictive. In addition, they become fashionable, they look cool, they are colorful. There is even one called pink unicorn – this is definitely not a product for adults.” adds Izabella Dessoulavy-Gładysz.
A disposable e-cigarette costs an average of PLN 30 and is introduced to the market on the basis of the declaration of the importer/manufacturer, without ingredient testing. E-cigarettes containing nicotine should theoretically not fall into the hands of people under 18 years old. This is regulated by the so-called nicotine law. In practice, however, as per the study conducted by the Polish Society for Advancements in Medicine MEDICINE XXI and CBOS, over 46 percent of students do not have problems acquiring nicotine products in stores. According to experts, it is necessary to radically limit children’s access to both types of sweet e-cigarettes – those with nicotine and those without it.
– “Some e-cigarettes contain nicotine, so the child under the guise of it being supposedly candy – sweet, strawberry – right away gets a dose of nicotine and becomes addicted like everyone else. However, there are also nicotine-free ones, but they too are harmful – the brain gets used to a certain procedure. If everyone after 10 of these candies vapes, then they easily transition to nicotine ones.” stresses Prof. Alicja Chybicka, MP, member of the Parliamentary Health Committee and Children and Youth Committee, as well as chairwoman of the Parliamentary Team for Children.
We are talking about behavioral addiction, which is the starting point for children transitioning to using nicotine products. According to CBOS, over 73 percent of students using nicotine initiated their addiction by reaching for an e-cigarette. These products outstripped even traditional cigarettes in terms of nicotine initiation (19.6 percent of students).
“– Nicotine-free products can be considered harmful because they create certain behavioral habits in children under 13 years of age. This is the right way and the right direction not to create these habits, but it is certainly insufficient.” adds the president of the Mental Power – Foundation for Brain Health, referring to the announcement by the health minister about the ban on the sale of nicotine-free e-cigarettes to people under 18 years of age.
Work on changing regulations is at the government stage. As announced in October, a draft amendment to the so-called tobacco act regulates the sale of nicotine-free liquids for electronic cigarettes (including disposable electronic cigarettes). It is to introduce a ban on the sale of these products to minors, limit the places where they can be used, a ban on sale in vending machines and at a distance, including on the internet, a ban on advertising and promotion, and the requirement to properly label their packages.
On the occasion of World No Smoking Day, an occasional exhibition “VapowaNIE – fleeting cloud, lasting effects” was opened in the Sejm. The organizers of the exhibition are Prof. Alicja Chybicka, chairwoman of the Parliamentary Team for Children, MP Małgorzata Niemczyk, chairwoman of the Parliamentary Team for Counteracting Addictions, and MP Iwona Kozłowska, chairwoman of the Parliamentary Team for Civilization Diseases. The exhibition was accompanied by a joint meeting of these three teams devoted to the topic of combating the growing epidemic of vaping among young people and the possibility of taking legislative steps.
