Stricter controls make it harder for young people to buy tobacco in stores – but social media takes over
The proportion of minors buying cigarettes or e-cigarettes in kiosks has halved since 2020. However, more young people are now purchasing tobacco and nicotine products through social media or from friends. This is shown by a new study from the National Institute of Public Health.
Stricter ID checks and age restrictions on the purchase of tobacco and nicotine products in physical stores appear to be working.
A new study among young people shows that the proportion of minors buying cigarettes in kiosks has declined over time. The same trend applies to minors purchasing e-cigarettes in kiosks.
The study's data is based on responses from over 10,000 young people aged 15-29, who in November 2024 were asked whether they found it easier or harder to buy tobacco and nicotine products in kiosks, supermarkets, or gas stations over the past year.
A majority in the Danish Parliament adopted a prevention plan in 2019 to combat smoking among children and young people. The plan included price increases on tobacco, smoke- and nicotine-free schools, a ban on displaying tobacco products, and stricter advertising restrictions.
In July 2024, the plan was expanded to include increased age verification and trials with young test purchasers.
The initiative is working
The new study shows that the proportion of 15-17-year-olds buying cigarettes in kiosks has halved since 2020 – from 60 percent to 33 percent.
A similar trend is seen for e-cigarette purchases. The proportion of 15-17-year-olds buying e-cigarettes in kiosks has halved from 33 percent to 14 percent over the past two years.
At the same time, about one in three 15-17-year-olds report that it has become harder to buy e-cigarettes in kiosks in the past year.
According to Senior Researcher Lotus Sofie Bast, the numbers indicate that the prevention plan is beginning to take effect.
"It is positive that the legislation appears to be working and that it has become more difficult for minors to buy in physical stores. But there is still a long way to go. Young people quickly find alternative channels to obtain cigarettes and e-cigarettes, and therefore it has not yet been possible to curb minors' nicotine use," she says.
More minors smoke and vape
While the proportion of 18-29-year-olds who smoke cigarettes has decreased, the trend looks different among minors.
The proportion of 15-17-year-olds who smoke cigarettes has increased from 11.9 percent in 2020 to 14.7 percent in 2024.
At the same time, the use of e-cigarettes has increased across all age groups – most notably among 15-17-year-olds, where the proportion of those who use e-cigarettes daily or occasionally has risen from 4.5 percent in 2020 to 14.3 percent in 2024.
E-cigarettes come in various forms and are commonly referred to as vapes or puff bars. What they all have in common is that they contain a liquid with ingredients, nicotine, and flavoring, which is heated and inhaled.
"We can see that minors increasingly receive vapes from friends or family or buy them from someone they know. Additionally, there is a growing trend of purchasing vapes through social media. This makes it difficult to restrict their use," explains Lotus Sofie Bast.
Among 15-17-year-olds, the proportion who buy e-cigarettes via social media has doubled from 13 percent in 2023 to 25 percent in 2024.
"This calls for stricter enforcement, but we cannot curb young people's nicotine consumption through legislation alone. Parents and the rest of society must also step in and help limit minors' access to cigarettes, whether through friends or by having someone over 18 buy cigarettes or vapes for them."
Facts about the §RØG study
The study monitors the development of tobacco and nicotine use among children and young people in Denmark from 2020 to 2025. It was initiated following an agreement in December 2019 between the government and a broad majority in the Danish Parliament on an action plan to combat smoking among children and young people.
This study is the sixth in a series that tracks tobacco- and nicotine-related behavior among children and young people. Data was collected in the fall of 2024, by which time many of the new measures were already in effect.
The study is conducted in collaboration with the Danish Cancer Society, the Heart Association, and the Lung Association and is funded by TrygFonden.
Contact:
Senior researcher Lotus Sofie Bast, tel.: 6550 7809, e-mail: loni@sdu.dk.
National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark.