All nicotine products should be taxed and regulated as tobacco to prioritise the health of children over the profits of the tobacco industry, the president of the Cyprus National Addictions Authority Christos Mina said on Friday.

In a statement released on ‘World No-Tobacco Day’, observed annually on May 31, the authority noted how Cypriot students rank among the highest in Europe in e-cigarette and hookah use.

Some 4.6 per cent of students in Cyprus reported daily use of e-cigarettes by students compared to the average of 3.1 per cent reported in the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD) 2019 student population survey.

Further data from the authority’s 2023 survey showed that approximately 38 per cent, or 4 out of 10 smokers, have used an electronic cigarette in the past month. Compared to 2019, there is a notable increase in the percentage of smokers who have tried electronic cigarettes, rising from 21 per cent to 57 per cent.

Last year’s survey also emphasised the consistent age of smoking initiation, which remains at 18 years, Mina noted.

To combat the growing ‘epidemic’ of nicotine addiction among young people, Mina called on Cypriot MPs and MEPs to support the WHO recommendations for the protection of youth from all forms of nicotine addiction.

“We urge the regulation and taxation of all new nicotine products as tobacco, to prioritise the health of children over the profits of the tobacco industry.”

For those looking to quit smoking, the Cyprus National Addictions Authority offers a support line available at 1431, free of charge, from Monday to Thursday, between 7.30am and 3pm. In 2023, this programme assisted 468 individuals (309 men and 159 women), with 252 successfully quitting smoking.

‘World No Tobacco Day’ was established in 1987 at the initiative of the World Health Organisation to raise global awareness of the dangers of tobacco.