They are aged 13-15, and one in five smokes e-cigarettes daily. Expert: We are among the leaders in Europe.
- 2/3 of all cancer deaths are related to exposure to the harmful effects of tobacco smoke
- A study conducted among young people aged 13-15 shows that 12% of girls and 11% of boys smoke traditional cigarettes.
- 23% of girls and 21% of boys use e-cigarettes daily, making Poland one of the EU countries with the highest consumption of these products among young people.
- Over 45% of young people believe that smoking cigarettes helps improve social relationships
"The primary risk factor, still present in our population, is exposure to tobacco smoke . Epidemiological estimates indicate that two-thirds of all cancer deaths in Poland are related to this factor, and it is worth recalling that – according to the latest data from the National Cancer Registry (KRN) – 96,000 people died from cancer in our country in 2022," said Dr. Paweł Koczkodaj from the Department of Epidemiology and Primary Prevention of Cancer at the National Institute of Oncology in Warsaw at a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee for Cancer Prevention - RAK STOP.
As he emphasized, if all Poles stopped smoking cigarettes, in 15-20 years we would observe epidemiological trends showing spectacular declines in cancer incidence.
The expert also commented on the situation regarding children and adolescents.
"In 2022, we conducted a study covering the population aged 13-15 . It showed that only 43% of young people received school education on tobacco smoking. Compared to 2016, when the figure was 61% , we have a clear decline," said Dr. Paweł Koczkodaj.
"Awareness of the harmful effects of exposure to tobacco smoke has also significantly decreased. In 2003, 66% of respondents were aware of this issue, while in 2022, only 34% were. The percentage of teenagers exposed to anti-tobacco media messages has also dropped dramatically – from 89% to 35%. Currently, over 45% of young people believe that smoking cigarettes helps improve social relationships ," the expert noted.
He noted that, as the study shows:
- 12% of girls and 11% of boys in the surveyed age group smoke traditional cigarettes ,
- 10% of girls and 10% of boys use heated tobacco ,
- 23% of girls and 21% of boys use e-cigarettes daily , making Poland one of the EU countries with the highest e-cigarette consumption among young people.
"New tobacco products are often a precursor to traditional cigarette smoking among young people. In turn, adults who use e-cigarettes to quit smoking traditional cigarettes often become double or triple smokers because they use e-cigarettes, traditional cigarettes, and/or heated tobacco in the same day," explained Dr. Paweł Koczkodaj.
He added that a major challenge for children and young people is the promotion and advertising of these products. While it's banned in Poland, upon entering a store, these products immediately grab attention because they're displayed at eye level. They have attractive shapes, flavors, scents, and colors. Everything here is tempting and encourages initiation.
- According to our study , over 43% of young people aged 13-15 buy traditional cigarettes at legal points of sale , i.e. in shops, kiosks and supermarkets – wherever they are available - emphasized the expert.
As a reminder , according to the latest WHO report (data from 123 countries and covering 97% of the world's population), the number of cigarette smokers has fallen from 1.38 billion in 2000 to 1.2 billion in 2024. Since 2010, 120 million people have lost tobacco, or 27%. The World Health Organization emphasizes that this is due to anti-smoking campaigns conducted in many countries. However, one in five people worldwide is still addicted to nicotine, mostly men.
The WHO also highlights a disturbing new trend: the rapid increase in vaping. According to the report , over 100 million people use e-cigarettes, including 15 million children aged just 13-15.
As the World Health Organization notes, the tobacco industry is offering new nicotine products, aggressively targeting young people, and e-cigarettes are fueling a new wave of nicotine addiction. While advertised as less harmful, they actually introduce children to nicotine early and risk undermining decades of progress in the fight against smoking.
In Poland, the Ministry of Health plans to introduce a ban on the sale of disposable e-cigarettes. The restrictions will also apply to other tobacco products. A draft amendment to the Act on Health Protection from the Consequences of Using Tobacco and Tobacco Products was submitted for consultation before the summer holidays.
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