Protecting children and adolescents from nicotine addiction became a priority at the roundtable discussion "Nicotine addiction among children and youth: a threat to the nation's health and Ukraine's demographic recovery," held at the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Public Health. The discussion brought together MPs, WHO representatives, scientists, and civil society organizations. The central issue was whether current bans are enough to curb the rise in nicotine consumption among youth or if the state needs a more flexible model that combines regulation, enforcement, and restrictions on marketing targeted at minors.
E-cigarettes are the most common nicotine product among teens
Key statistics were presented by Andrii Skipalskyi, head of non-communicable disease control at the WHO Office in Ukraine, based on the 2023 Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS). The results showed that 19.6% of Ukrainian teenagers aged 13–15 are current e-cigarette users. This figure not only significantly exceeds the use of traditional cigarettes (12.3%) but is also higher than the WHO European Region average (14.3%) and the global average (7.2%). For comparison: 2.9% of teens reported regular use of nicotine pouches, another 7% have tried them at least once, and 6.9% of respondents used heated tobacco products. Thus, e-cigarettes have become the most widespread nicotine product among Ukrainian youth.
Poly-use: the main challenge for regulators
Experts pointed to a specific risk: teenagers are increasingly using multiple types of nicotine products simultaneously. According to data presented at the roundtable, in 2023, 7.8% of 13–15-year-olds practiced so-called poly-use—using multiple tobacco or nicotine products. Among current smokers, 53% used only one nicotine-containing product, 25% used two, and 23% used three or more. "Children are not consuming just one type; they are consuming two or three or more nicotine products simultaneously within the last 30 days, building a dependence on nicotine sourced from different products," Skipalskyi explained. WHO representative in Ukraine, Jarno Habicht (Silviu Domente), added that Ukrainian youth "love variety," and it is common for one person to use between two and five different types of nicotine products.
Knowledge of harm does not prevent the first attempt
A paradox identified by the participants is that about 85% of teens are aware of the harm caused by nicotine. However, their behavior is more heavily influenced by their social environment, product availability, and marketing, with first attempts often occurring as early as age 12–13. This implies that knowledge about risks and formal sales bans to minors are not enough of a barrier on their own. According to experts, shifts in the popularity of certain products do not necessarily indicate a decrease in nicotine dependence: a teenager might start with an e-cigarette or a traditional one and then switch to heated tobacco or pouches, or combine several types. Therefore, nicotine policy must encompass the entire category of products rather than focusing on one type.
New products and pouches: regulatory lag
Silviu Domente emphasized the rapid evolution of new nicotine products, especially pouches. He noted that these are "beginning to cause the most concern" because they are developing extremely fast and are highly attractive to youth due to varied flavors and colorful, bright packaging. These products are easily accessible even to children, and some contain high concentrations of nicotine. The expert stated that the state must react swiftly to market changes and avoid regulatory lag, which allows new categories to become a "gray zone" without proper control.
Bans versus control: what works in practice
Ukraine already has restrictions on the sale, advertising, and specific tobacco and nicotine products, but, as roundtable participants acknowledged, the question of practical enforcement and regulation of new categories remains. The participants concluded that the effectiveness of anti-nicotine policy is determined not so much by the existence of formal bans as by the quality of enforcement, the restriction of marketing targeted at minors, and the reduction of legal and illegal access to nicotine. Without a "regulation + enforcement + accessibility" framework, any new restrictions risk remaining only on paper, while consumption patterns, including poly-use, will continue to develop outside the legal framework.
