Teen vaping on the rise but fewer young adults smoke tobacco

The number of Dutch teenagers admitting to using vapes rose slightly last year to 7.6%, national statistics agency CBS said on Tuesday. There was also a small increase in the number of 12 to 18-year-olds who said they smoke cigarettes, the CBS said in a new report.

By contrast, vaping among young adults declined sharply, falling from 13% to 8.6%. The proportion of cigarette and vape smokers in this group also dropped, from 25.8% to 23.7%, according to the CBS.

The sale of fruit and sweet-flavored vaping liquids has been banned in the Netherlands since January 2024 as part of efforts to make e-cigarettes less attractive to teenagers.

However, figures from the food and product safety board NVWA earlier this year show a thriving black market in flavored vapes. Just last week, government inspectors seized 70,000 bottles of sweet vaping liquids from an importer in Gelderland.

RTL Nieuws reported earlier this month that at least five teenagers and young adults in the Netherlands nearly died after excessive vaping. Four were kept in an artificial coma for an extended period.

The individuals did not know each other and had used different types of flavored vaping liquids, all of which are now illegal in the Netherlands, the broadcaster said.

At least 16 hospitals have reported treating multiple patients with serious lung conditions linked to vaping, including collapsed lungs and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Eight hospitals said they had seen young patients suffer asthma attacks as a result of vaping.

Junior health minister Vincent Karremans said in March he is considering raising the legal age to buy cigarettes and vapes from 18 to 21.

He is also exploring plans to criminalize the sale of flavored vapes and increase penalties for those caught breaking the rules, he said at the launch of an action plan to tackle smoking and vaping among young people.

The Dutch health ministry is also keen Brussels to introduce “comprehensive restrictions on flavours, maximum nicotine levels and plain packaging” for e-cigarettes and other nicotine products.