The use of electronic cigarettes among adolescents and young people continues to rise in Spain and has already reached figures that specialists link to normalized consumption in daily life. A study by the Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine places the percentage of adolescents between 14 and 18 years old who use these devices at 11.9%, while among young people aged 19 to 24, the total consumption of nicotine products rises to 24.8%.
The paradox highlighted by the data is that vaping remains associated with a lighter or less harmful image, even though doctors insist that it is not harmless vapor. The ESTUDES 2025 research from the National Plan on Drugs also adds that 27.1% of students admitted to having used electronic cigarettes in the last thirty days.
Doctors detect more persistent cough and pneumonia among young people who vape
The survey was presented during the XXVII Smoke-Free Week, coinciding with World No Tobacco Day on May 31st. In this context, the semFYC emphasized that electronic cigarettes contain aerosols with nicotine and other toxic substances.
In consultations, smoking cessation specialists are already observing effects associated with this consumption. These include respiratory problems, an increase in visits for persistent cough, lung irritation, and cases of pneumonia in young users.
Added to this is that dual consumption combines vaping and conventional tobacco and reinforces nicotine dependence. Medical teams have also detected lung injuries and cardiovascular problems linked to continued use, although data on many long-term effects is still lacking.
The warning also extends to neurological development. Nicotine, specialists recall, can affect the adolescent brain in areas related to memory, attention, and impulse control.
Sweet flavors drive consumption, and 75.7% call for expanding smoke-free spaces
Among the reasons for consumption, the commercial appeal of the product stands out strongly. Almost 80% of adolescents who vape state that they do so because of the sweet and fruity flavors of the liquids.
More than 60% also admit that their environment and trends have a significant influence. Isabel Nerín, a smoking cessation specialist at the University of Zaragoza, maintains that consumption has become normalized to the point of being part of the everyday landscape among adolescents and university students.
"It has become normalized to the point where it is already part of the daily landscape among adolescents and university students" - Isabel Nerín, smoking specialist, University of Zaragoza
The response from the survey itself points in the opposite direction. 72.1% of respondents favor reinforcing prevention campaigns and 75.7% support expanding smoke-free spaces, especially on beaches, terraces, or school entrances.
Various medical entities also call for stricter regulation of electronic devices and to equate them with tobacco, with more restrictions on advertising, sales, and places of use. In parallel, the Vall d'Hebron hospital has reduced emergency visits by 33% for chronic patients with heart failure or lung disease.
The ESTUDES 2025 study by the National Plan on Drugs places the percentage of students who admitted to using electronic cigarettes in the last thirty days at 27.1%.