According to the latest data from the Danish National Institute of Public Health, the proportion of young people aged 15 to 29 using e-cigarettes increased significantly from 7% to 12% between 2022 and 2024, with the number of users reaching about 136,000. It is worth noting that more than 80% (82%) of young people choose fruit-flavored e-cigarettes . Although the Danish government banned the sale of e-cigarettes other than tobacco and menthol flavors in 2022, the number of users of fruit-flavored e-cigarettes still increased by nearly 46,000.
Faced with this trend, Danish Minister of Health Sophie Løhde expressed deep concern. She pointed out that although the government has taken a series of measures, including a ban on fruit-flavored e-cigarettes in 2022 and a ban on disposable e-cigarettes scheduled to be implemented in July 2024, the effectiveness of these policies has not yet been fully demonstrated. She stressed that the government will continue to strengthen control and launch new prevention plans to address the popularity of e-cigarettes among young people.
Sophie Lede also mentioned that some of the new measures have just come into effect and it may take more time to see the effects. She said the government will pay close attention to relevant data and take further action if necessary to curb the rising trend of e-cigarette use.
As of December 2023, Denmark's total population is about 5.95 million. The popularity of e-cigarettes among young people has aroused widespread concern, especially the appeal of fruit-flavored e-cigarettes to teenagers. The government hopes to reduce the impact of e-cigarettes on public health through stricter supervision and preventive measures, especially to protect the younger generation from its harm.