World Health Organization: Currently, Over 100 Million People Worldwide Are Using Electronic Cigarettes.

On Monday this week, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that currently, over 100 million people worldwide are using e-cigarettes, including at least 86 million adults living in high-income countries and 15 million teenagers aged 13 to 15.
The WHO's data also revealed that the number of tobacco users globally has decreased from 1.38 billion in 2000 to 1.2 billion in 2024. Although increasingly strict regulations have helped reduce tobacco use, tobacco companies have shifted to promoting new tobacco alternatives such as e-cigarettes to counteract the decline in tobacco sales.
Although the WHO is concerned that e-cigarettes may trigger a new wave of nicotine addiction, on the other hand, some studies have found that e-cigarettes can effectively help smokers quit smoking. For instance, the evidence review conducted by the non-profit health research network Cochrane in 2024 found that the success rate of smoking cessation for smokers using e-cigarettes was higher than that of using traditional patches or gum. However, the study also pointed out that more data is needed and the long-term health effects remain unclear.
The WHO warned that nearly one-fifth of adults worldwide are still using tobacco products and called for the implementation of strengthened tobacco control measures and regulation of new nicotine products such as e-cigarettes.