WHO warns teen smoking, drinking rising in Europe, Central Asia and Canada; recommends tighter sales, flavor and advertising limits

The World Health Organization said in a new report that smoking and drinking are rising among teenagers in Europe, Central Asia and Canada, and that girls now match or exceed boys in substance use.

The report, according to WHO officials summarized in the UN news briefing, found that more than half of 15-year-olds had experimented with alcohol and that about one in five teenagers recently used e-cigarettes. WHO recommended raising taxes, restricting product availability and sales locations, enforcing minimum legal purchasing ages and banning flavorings, including menthol, in nicotine and tobacco products. The agency also called for bans on advertising across mainstream and social media platforms.

WHO regional director for Europe, Dr. Hans Kluge, warned that widespread use of harmful substances among children in many countries in the European region and beyond poses a serious public health threat, and emphasized the need to protect adolescents while their brains are still developing.

The recommendations reflect WHO’s public-health approach to reduce youth access to alcohol, nicotine and tobacco and to limit promotional channels that reach adolescents. The briefing did not specify implementation timelines or which countries have committed to adopt the full package of measures.

Daniel Johnson, UN News.