Nicotine addiction among youth and adolescents

Abstract Nicotine addiction is one of the most widespread addictions in the world. Moreover, it is an important modifiable risk factor for many diseases such as coronary artery disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer. Nicotine is the most addictive substance in tobacco products and has widely proven negative effects on health. Statistics show that one in four Poles uses tobacco products. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the population of minors using nicotine products. The following factors contribute to the spread of addiction among children such as availability, wide range of products and effective marketing of companies producing tobacco products. Modern nicotine-delivering systems such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products are often advertised as a healthier alternative to regular cigarettes. However, research in this area has shown that their use is associated with a strong addiction to nicotine and has numerous negative health effects. To stop the epidemic of smoking addiction among children and adolescents, it is necessary to focus on educating and rising awareness of health risk associated with smoking and nicotine use. Moreover, establishing appropriate legal regulations limiting the availability of products containing nicotine could potentially reduce the use of tobacco and eventually create a smokefree generation.