Monitoring Desk
NEW YORK: Once touted as a healthy way to quit smoking, vapes are now being banned in many countries amid fears they are ‘no better than cigarettes’.
A total of 34 countries — including Mexico, Brazil and Norway — had banned the sale of the devices by July 2023, according to the World Health Organization.
And 87 — mainly in the West — had imposed restrictions on their sales, such as outlawing certain flavors and online sales. Back in 2020, 79 had adopted bans.
The US — which has the largest vape market in the world — is nowhere near a nationwide ban, but there are signs of a shift among the states — with five outlawing the sale of flavored e-cigarettes.
The WHO — which recently called for all flavored vapes to be banned — is urging for more ‘urgent’ action to curb use of the devices. It noted that 74 countries don’t have any rules in place.
But even in areas where vapes are banned, the devices — and their fruity varieties — remain available because of poor enforcement.
About one in twenty adults — or 11million people — use vapes in the United States, according to statistics.
But among teenagers and young adults, use is as high as one in four in certain age groups.
Tobacco companies claim e-cigarettes are safer than traditional cigarettes and pose significantly lower risks to health.
But a growing body of evidence shows the devices generate dangerous substances that damage the lungs and raise the risk of heart and lung problems.
