Young people endangered: Cancer aid warns of e-cigarettes and pouches!

Young people endangered: Cancer aid warns of e-cigarettes and pouches!

Oberwart, Österreich - The World Niche Smoking Day 2025 is just around the corner and it brings important messages. Under the motto "New smoke products-old dangers", the Cancer Aid Burgenland draws attention to the risks of e-cigarettes and nicotine bags. The increasing popularity of these products in adolescents alerts the health authorities and urgently requires educational work, such as meinbezirk.at reports

The cancer aid therefore launched the "Don’t Smoke" educational campaign, which comes up with a special focus on the information about the risks of e-cigarettes and tobacco heaters. A special highlight of the campaign is the virtual lung coach Luis, who tries to address young people humorous and directly on Tikok. It is emphasized that non-smoking is the most effective prevention against lung cancer.

Current trends among young people

But what does the reality look like? According to the 2024 Espad survey, it can be clearly seen that the youngsters are clearly moving towards these alternative products. The proportion of 14- to 17-year-olds who consume e-cigarettes rose from 14 % in 2019 to 2224. The difference between girls and boys is particularly striking: 46 % of the girls use e-cigarettes, while the boys are only 41 %. This shows that the dangers must be pointed out, since many young people are not aware of the health risks, as cancer aid underlines.

One of the most effective measures for addiction prevention is offered by teaching programs for teachers. These are intended to ensure that the young people will be informed about the dangers of nicotine consumption in good time. In addition, Primarius Martin Pichler explains the health consequences of smoking and emphasizes the importance of the “smoke -free in six weeks” program, which offers support in the smoke stop. Cancer aid provides information material and an online symptom check for free.

nicotine bag in focus

Another trend that has come to light in recent years are the nicotine bags, also known as "Pouches". These products are often consumed unnoticed in schools and at home. These bags are prohibited in Germany, but they are very popular and are offered on the Internet and in shops. welt.de reports that a bag can contain the nicotine content of three to six cigarettes and thus the dependency potential is enormous.

The risks should not be underestimated: Addiction doctor Andrea Rabenstein warns of acute poisoning that can cause symptoms such as nausea, dizziness and even fainting. It has also been proven that some nicotin pouches contain carcinogenic substances. Consumption has not only physical, but also psychological effects, since nicotine consumption in this age group can affect the development of the brain. Long-term consequences are still unclear due to a lack of data, but the effects on the cardiovascular system are already obvious.

Enlightenment about such products is important because they are often perceived as less harmful. However, it is overlooked that they not only make them addicted, but also bring serious health risks, both for consumers themselves and for society. Cancer aid emphasizes that there should be no space for uninformed nicotine consumption in Austrian society and therefore offers support via different channels.

With the humorous Tikok campaign and the "smoke-free phone", young people should be encouraged to stay away from nicotine and make healthy decisions. Because the goal is clear: smoking should be an exception in Austria and nicotine consumption is not normal.