OBSERVER COASTAL | School survey reveals widespread vaping among teens

Renthia Kaimbi

A senior World Health Organization (WHO) official has warned that nicotine addiction among teenagers is not accidental but deliberately engineered by the tobacco and vape industry, as new national data reveals that nearly one in four school-going adolescents in Namibia currently uses vaping products.

Speaking at the World No Tobacco Day commemoration held at the Kuisebmond Stadium Sport Field in Walvis Bay last week, WHO Country Representative Dr. Richard Banda presented findings from the 2024 Namibia Global School-based Student Health Survey.

The survey found that 23% of students aged 13 to 17 currently use vaping products, 18% use other tobacco products, while 9% smoke traditional cigarettes.