This article addresses the significant issue of the nicotine epidemic among children and adolescents, which is linked to the high popularity of e-cigarettes and other nicotine products. The authors point out that the current age limit of 18 for the sale of nicotine products in Poland does not effectively protect young people from accessing nicotine, in part due to the existence of so-called peer supply chains. Early nicotine initiation, however, is associated with an increased risk of developing addiction and negative consequences for the physical and mental health of young people.
The main recommendation presented in the policy brief is to raise the minimum age for the sale of all nicotine products to 21, with the exception of products used for medical purposes. The authors also propose introducing a three-year transition period, developing an accessible system for the prevention and treatment of nicotine addiction among children and adolescents, and drawing on the experiences of countries that have successfully implemented Tobacco 21 measures.
Marcin Maniak is a Ph.D. candidate at the Centre for Inflammation Research at the University of Edinburgh, where he conducts research on the molecular mechanisms of inflammatory processes. Maja Piotrowska is an interdisciplinary Ph.D. candidate at Jagiellonian University, focusing on public health issues from the perspectives of psychology and sociology. The thesis was supervised by Prof. Paweł Balwicki, head of the Department of Public Health and Social Medicine at the Medical University of Gdańsk and National Consultant in the field of Public Health.
The article is available on the Tygodnik Medyczny website. A full report containing a detailed analysis of the proposal will be published soon on our website.
This work was produced as part of the Young Think Policy Briefs Health program.