Belgian cancer charity, Stand up to Cancer, calls for stricter enforcement of underage smoking and vaping laws amid concerns of their correlation.
The group surveyed over 6,000 Flemish youths aged 12 to 26. Worryingly, over half of the respondents who vape also smoke traditional tobacco products.
Of the youngest participants, those aged 12 to 15, 51% stated they first used a vape before turning to cigarettes. A significant one in five respondents admitted their curiosity about smoking was ignited by vaping. "This is a signal we cannot ignore," said Stand up to Cancer.
These statistics seem to reflect a lax study on the ban of underage vaping and smoking. The charity revealed that a quarter of the underage individuals don’t buy their own tobacco or vape products but have others purchase on their behalf. However, 40% admitted to buying tobacco from night shops or service stations, and 32% for vapes.
Last year, the Ministry of Health noted more than 70% of retailers failed to respect the legal selling age for tobacco and vape products.
"It’s clear our country needs to urgently reinforce enforcement of this prohibition so it doesn’t continue being disregarded," said Veerle Maes, a cancer prevention expert at Stand up to Cancer. "This will require investment, however, the long-term payoff is the reduction in healthcare costs."
