Traditional cigarettes have largely fallen out of favour, with a growing number of people now turning to tobacco heaters or e-cigarettes. The latter are rapidly capturing the nicotine market thanks to their pleasant flavours, wide availability, and appealing aroma. These attributes attract adults but particularly entice young people, who are especially susceptible to the bright, colourful packaging of nicotine products. But just how many children have access to e-cigarettes?

According to a recent CBOS survey of schoolchildren, nearly half (46.3%) of pupils report being able to purchase nicotine products on their own, while almost 10% admit to buying e-cigarettes online. Alarmingly, 26% of primary school pupils have already tried nicotine. For seven out of ten of these young users, their first experience with nicotine was through an e-cigarette.

Why are children drawn to e-cigarettes? The survey reveals that 53.8% of pupils tried e-cigarettes out of curiosity about the flavours. Another 32.1% wanted to experiment, while 10.3% cited peer pressure and the desire to fit in. Most underage users are drawn to sweet, fruity, or dessert flavours.

The decreasing age of nicotine initiation is a worrying trend. The survey shows that 34.9% of schoolchildren had their first smoking experience at the age of 13. Shockingly, one in four began at 12, and one in ten as young as 11.

Dr Łukasz Balwicki, MD, PhD, Head of the Department of Public Health and Social Medicine at the Medical University of Gdańsk, and a specialist in public health, commented on recent findings in an interview with Gazeta Wyborcza: "The data showing a decrease in the age of nicotine initiation is not surprising to me. This trend was expected. It stems from the deliberate modification of nicotine products to suggest a lower health risk – with pleasant aromas and enticing flavours, including those appealing to children, and toy-like packaging."

Dr Balwicki added: "Furthermore, there is virtually no oversight of nicotine product sales to minors in Poland. Current laws do not require age verification at each sale, which makes enforcement selective at best. There is no licensing for nicotine sales in Poland, so there’s no system to track who sells these products or where. Penalties for violating these sales regulations are minimal and do not serve as a deterrent."

Psychiatrist Dr Piotr Wierzbiński, one of the authors of the CBOS survey, pointed out: "The wide variety of flavours has made nicotine products the new ‘sweets’. Many of these products resemble candy in appearance. We need to remember that children are more responsive to sensory stimuli than adults. The marketing of nicotine products, especially the sweet and fruity e-cigarettes, is directly aimed at children, masking the true risks of addiction."

Dr Wierzbiński was forthright in his condemnation: "Let’s call it what it is – a hunt for children. Why are e-cigarettes displayed next to sweets in shops? Why are they at eye level for children? Why do they have bright packaging and promise a flavourful experience? Why are they so inexpensive? For a young person, spending PLN 30 on an e-cigarette is no barrier to addiction. What matters to them is satisfying the urge to ‘feel adult’ or to ‘impress’ their peers."

Source: Gazeta Wyborcza