Smoke-free 2040 goal failing as young adults keep vaping

A survey has revealed that nearly 40% of young adults in the Netherlands smoke or vape, highlighting the nation's distance from its goal of a smoke-free generation by 2040. This figure, obtained from a poll of 2,000 people conducted by comparison website Independer, is significantly higher than the official data from the National Statistics Agency CBS, which suggests that roughly 25% of 18-to-25-year-olds engage in the habit in 2024.

The most common age group for this behavior is 18-to-29-year-olds, with the rate dropping to around 30% among those in their thirties, 17% among the over-45s, and 10% among the over-60s. Noor Rikkers, a paediatric lung specialist from the Doctors Sound the Alarm campaign group, described the statistics as shocking, attributing the rise of vaping to its appeal to ever-younger children.

She called for a blanket ban on all products containing nicotine, arguing that it would be easier to enforce than the current complex set of rules. The survey also revealed that social media plays a significant role, with about three-quarters of young adults witnessing videos of people smoking or vaping. A third of those viewers admitted that such content tempted them to try it, and over a quarter of young smokers claimed to have purchased cigarettes or vapes through social media.

Despite online and social media sales of tobacco and vapes being banned since 2023, dealers have been flouting this rule on platforms like Snapchat. Although flavoured vapes were banned in January 2024, doctors and inspectors maintain that a black market continues to supply illegal products.