Imagine this: new tobacco products, aggressively marketed as “healthier” and “less harmful” alternatives, are actually ticking health time bombs! Yes, you read that right. While traditional smoking is slowly declining, e-cigarettes, IQOS, snus, and other new products are exploding in popularity among kids and youth. According to the latest ESPAD survey, a whopping 32% of 15-16-year-olds use e-cigarettes, IQOS usage jumped to 19%, and snus is also at 19%. Meanwhile, hookah use dropped from 42% to 16%. But don’t be fooled — these products are NOT healthier!
Experts from Montenegro’s Institute of Public Health, like Agima Ljajević, warn that these products contain nicotine, which causes addiction and seriously harms health. Even products labeled “nicotine-free” often contain this toxic substance! Nicotine raises blood pressure, speeds up the heart, and can cause cancerous changes. But that’s not all — these products also contain ammonia, formaldehyde, diacetyl, and heavy metals, causing severe respiratory problems, including fibrotic lung changes known as “popcorn lung.”
Did you know a 17-year-old girl in the US was the first to be diagnosed with these lung changes? And here? Kids start with new products and then move on to traditional cigarettes. The addiction is so strong that teachers report students asking to leave class because they can’t wait to smoke!
This is not just a health issue but a societal one. One in three adults in Montenegro uses tobacco products, and nearly half the population has tried them at least once. Prices and availability of new products are affordable, and marketing is aggressive.
What is the government doing? Agima Ljajević says tax policies must change, promotion must be strictly controlled, and all measures of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control must be applied. Education about non-smoking should start in elementary schools because kids begin using these products before age 13! Parents and teachers must set examples and create an environment where tobacco use is absolutely unacceptable.
So next time you see those “colorful boxes” in the shop window, remember — they’re not toys but poisonous traps for our kids! And don’t be surprised if someone tells you they started with an e-cigarette and ended up with a real cigarette. This is not just a fight for health but a fight for our children’s future. What do you think? Are new tobacco products really less harmful, or just another sneaky marketing scam? Drop a comment, let’s hear some common sense or at least a good joke about smoking!
