"We have a very strong group of e-cigarette lobbyists who stand up for maintaining commercial freedom. They talk very loudly about the fact that these are products that save lives," said Sammel on the radio. When hearing such information, Sammel recommends thinking about where the information comes from. If this information comes from e-cigarette sellers, you should be critical of it and research sources that provide science-based information.

According to Sammel, it is definitely not possible to say that e-cigarettes are safe. "There are enough substances inside that are toxic to the body." E-cigarette liquid contains, for example, acetone, which is used to remove nail polish.

A TAI representative said that e-cigarettes contain cancer-causing substances. According to him, the amount of these substances in e-cigarettes is debatable, because there are thousands of e-cigarette liquids on the market.

"Currently, a new generation of nicotine users is growing up, who have not even tried a cigarette, but switch directly to these products." Anneli Sammel

In recent years, cigarettes have been in closed cabinets in stores, where they are not visible to the customer, but there is no similar requirement for e-cigarettes. Sammel is in favor of harmonizing the laws so that the same requirements apply to the presentation of e-cigarettes in the store as for regular cigarettes. He attributed this to the fact that both products contain nicotine. "Nicotine is not a safe substance," said Sammel.

How to tell children about dangers?

According to Sammel, e-cigarettes are especially dangerous for children. "Currently, a new generation of nicotine users is growing up who have not even tried a cigarette, but switch directly to these products," he said.

Sammel advised parents to talk about the dangers of e-cigarettes even before school. For example, ask the child what information and where he heard about them.

He added that if a parent suspects that a child is using an e-cigarette, it should be explained to him that nicotine is a drug and a nerve agent that can cause mood disorders. Children may not understand how addictive it is, and they don't think about the heart disease that smoking can cause later. Therefore, Sammel does not consider it reasonable for a parent to start a conversation with a child about the harmfulness of smoking.