New BMJ Analysis Argues for Child-Centric Approach to E-cigarettes

26 November 2025, at 15:53.

A new Analysis published in the BMJ by members of the Tobacco Control Research Group, with colleagues from the Australian National University and the University of Groningen, argues for an approach to e-cigarette regulation which puts children’s best interests first.

Recent data from the World Health Organization (WHO) suggest that, globally, prevalence of e-cigarette use amongst children aged 13 to 15 is nine times that of adults. Given that most of this demographic had never smoked at the point of initiating e-cigarette use, this signifies widespread exposure of a vulnerable group to harmful and addictive products. Yet the authors argue that “governments often overlook the harms to children, influenced by industry claims around reducing harm to adults who smoke”.

Drawing on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), as well as the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), the authors argue for a child-centric approach to e-cigarette regulation which significantly reduces the appeal, availability and affordability of these products to children.

For lead author Tom Gatehouse:

“The tobacco and nicotine industries, and those who speak on their behalf, constantly argue that restrictions or bans on e-cigarettes will cause harm by preventing adult smokers from switching to less dangerous products. But the latest prevalence data from the WHO is extremely worrying. Widespread uptake of these products amongst never smokers, particularly children, means there is more harm, not less. International legal frameworks like the CRC can provide governments with a strong basis for regulation which puts children’s health first.”

Read the Analysis:

How e-cigarettes compromise children’s human rights, T. Gatehouse, E. Banks, B. Toebes, R. Alebshehy, BMJ, 2025;391:e085850, doi: 10.1136/bmj-2025-085850

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