Rising Popularity of E-cigarettes Among Belarusian Teenagers

According to sb.by news, the Belarusian Center for Health Studies has been conducting nationwide representative surveys on smoking behavior among students for the past 18 years. This year, they have expanded their monitoring scope to include an investigation into the use of e-cigarettes.

A survey conducted across 39 schools with the participation of 3,493 students in grades 7-10 has revealed that e-cigarettes are highly popular among adolescents. The findings indicate that 15% of the surveyed students reported using e-cigarettes.

A survey has revealed that the number of e-cigarette users has increased as age increases, with 9th grade students aged 15 being the most prominent group. Additionally, there is a gender disparity in e-cigarette usage, as female students are less likely to believe that e-cigarettes are harmful compared to their male counterparts. The data shows that as age increases, there is a decrease in the suspicion regarding the harmful effects of e-cigarettes.

Meanwhile, as individuals grow older, the number of teenagers unwilling to give up smoking is also on the rise, with the utilization of smokeless tobacco growing threefold over the past five years.