Recent studies presented at the European Respiratory Society Congress in Barcelona reveal a mixed picture for nicotine use in Europe. While adult smoking rates have fallen, younger people are increasingly turning to vaping and other alternative nicotine products.
Smoking declines, but vaping surges
A 12‑year Austrian study of 15,056 participants aged 6 to 82 found that smoking prevalence dropped from 24.2% in 2012 to 16.3% in 2024. During the same period, use of alternative nicotine products—primarily vaping—rose from virtually zero to 17.2%.
The same Austrian data showed a jump in “dual use” (people who both smoke and vape) from 5.2% to 18.3%, and the average age of first smoking fell from about 20 years for those born in the 1930s to roughly 15 years for those born in the 2000s. The share of under‑18s who smoke nearly doubled, moving from 2.6% to 5.0%.
Irish teen trends echo Austrian findings
Research from the TobaccoFree Research Institute Ireland tracked 5,265 Irish students aged 15‑16 at three points: 2015, 2019 and 2024. Smoking among this group fell from 13.9% to 11.7%, but vaping rose from 10.1% to 15.7% over the same span. Notably, the proportion of vapers who had never smoked cigarettes increased from 50.2% to 76.2%.
A second Irish study followed 3,380 participants from age 13 to 25. By age 25, 38% reported current e‑cigarette use while 25% still smoked. Those who never vaped were the least likely to be smokers at age 25.
Experts call for broader prevention
Charmaine Helk‑Lim, lead researcher at the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Lung Health, warned that the decline in smoking can create a false sense of progress. “The epidemic isn’t shrinking; it’s changing shape and reaching children younger than it used to,” she said, urging families to talk with children about all nicotine products before the teenage years.
Salome Sunday of the same Irish institute emphasized that monitoring overall nicotine use, rather than individual products, is essential. She noted that the availability of new nicotine products could keep addiction rates high or even increase them.
Health officials stress policy response
Filippos Filippidis, chair of the ERS Tobacco Control Committee, highlighted the health risks of e‑cigarettes, noting established harms to lung and cardiovascular health. He warned that the rise in “dual use” could undermine decades of progress in reducing smoking.
Both European researchers and public‑health officials argue that stronger tobacco‑control policies—including age restrictions, marketing limits, and education campaigns—are needed to protect the next generation from nicotine addiction.
What families can do
Helk‑Lim recommends that parents start conversations about nicotine early, covering cigarettes, vapes, heated tobacco and nicotine pouches. Early education, she says, can reduce the likelihood of long‑term addiction and make quitting easier later in life.
As the data show, the landscape of nicotine use is evolving. While fewer adults light up traditional cigarettes, the rise of vaping among youths signals a new public‑health challenge that families, schools and policymakers must address together.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
