Greece is recording one of Europe’s most troubling increases in the use of new-generation tobacco products, with vaping among young people rising rapidly even as traditional cigarette smoking declines across the general population.
Among Greek school-aged teenagers, smoking rates are significantly higher than the European average, while access to e-cigarettes appears exceptionally easy. Girls, notably, are now overtaking boys in e-cigarette use — a reversal of long-standing smoking trends.
The findings come from the 2024 European School Survey Project on Alcohol and Other Drugs (ESPAD), presented by the Hellenic Society of Cardiology ahead of World No Tobacco Day on May 31. The organization warned that tobacco products remain one of the gravest threats to global public health, causing an estimated eight million deaths every year, including more than one million linked to secondhand smoke exposure.
According to ESPAD 2024 data covering the period between 2019 and 2024, combined use of conventional cigarettes and e-cigarettes among Greek students increased by 11 percentage points — one of the sharpest rises recorded in Europe.
The survey also found that 77% of Greek students consider e-cigarettes “fairly” or “very” easy to obtain, far above the European average of 60%. Meanwhile, 17% of Greek students reported trying e-cigarettes by the age of 13 or younger. Nearly 5% began daily vaping at the same age — almost double the European average of 2.9%.
Across Europe, vaping has become one of the fastest-growing habits among adolescents. Lifetime e-cigarette use now averages 44%, surpassing conventional cigarette use, which stands at 32% in many countries. Researchers also point to a widening gender shift, with girls increasingly more likely than boys to use e-cigarettes — a trend linked to flavored tobacco products and marketing strategies aimed at young women. Greece reflects this pattern with particular intensity.
The Hellenic Society of Cardiology warned that Greece compares poorly with the European average in both smoking prevalence and rising use trends, highlighting the urgent need for stronger prevention policies.
As part of its cardiovascular disease prevention efforts, the organization has released a short guide aimed at raising awareness and encouraging smokers to quit, to be distributed in print and digital form.
Ahead of World No Tobacco Day on May 31, the President of the Hellenic Society of Cardiology, Konstantinos Toutouzas said the findings leave “no room for complacency,” stressing that smoking and newer tobacco products continue to threaten public health, particularly as more young people are exposed to addiction from an early age.
