Filenews 14 February 2026 - by Theodora Nikolaou
The data showing that Cyprus is among the countries with the highest rates of vaping by teenagers in the EU are shocking. In fact, according to them, it appears that one in ten 16-year-olds in our country uses e-cigarettes daily. At the same time, cigarette smoking among Cypriot teenagers has decreased to about 14%, while a decade ago this percentage exceeded 20%.
In an interview with "F", Dr. Angelos Kassianou, Lecturer in Health Psychology at the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT), explains how nicotine use is shifting from conventional cigarettes to e-cigarettes instead of disappearing. On the one hand, influencers who "normalize" vaping, creating the feeling that "everyone does" and on the other hand, sweet flavours, are an attractive factor for young people who consider e-cigarettes to be "less harmful" or even "harmless" compared to conventional smoking.
Dr. Kassianos sounds the alarm, warning that vaping is not just a fad that will pass, while emphasizing that the sooner we act, the greater the likelihood that the "vaping era" will be remembered as a phase we successfully overcome, rather than as a new normal for the next generation.
In this context, he talks to us about the ambitious European research project RELIEF, which started this year in Cyprus, saying that it is an opportunity for our country not only to benefit from European expertise, but also to position itself as a leader in the prevention of nicotine in young people.
What do research on the use of e-cigarettes by adolescents at both European and domestic level show?
Over the past decade, we have seen a clear pattern across Europe. We observe that while conventional smoking among adolescents is gradually decreasing, regular use of e-cigarettes is increasing. There are large European surveys showing that about 44% of adolescents aged 15-16 have tried e-cigarettes at least once, and about 22-23% report regular use in the last 30 days. Cyprus stands out with some of the highest levels of teen vaping in Europe since according to official data, about one in ten 16-year-olds vape daily, compared to an estimated European average of about 5% daily use. So we are talking about a percentage in Cyprus almost double the European average. At the same time, cigarette smoking among Cypriot adolescents has decreased to around 14%, from over 20% a decade ago, suggesting that nicotine use is shifting from cigarettes to e-cigarettes rather than disappearing.
What is the reason for the shift observed in recent years to vaping products rather than conventional cigarettes?
There are several reasons. Firstly, many young people perceive vaping as 'less harmful' or even 'harmless' compared to conventional smoking, a belief reinforced by the tobacco industry's marketing messages that focus on 'getting rid of tobacco' and portrayed as the solution rather than part of the problem. Secondly, flavours play an important role. That is, sweet, fruity, and caramel flavours make starting vaping much more appealing to those teenagers who would never start with a strong-tasting cigarette. Third, strict tobacco control policies have made cigarettes more expensive and less socially acceptable, while newer nicotine products are not always regulated and taxed with the same intensity, creating an unintended shift towards these products.
After all, does the e-cigarette replace the conventional one, or is it a temporary substitute or even a supplement resulting in dual use?
As I have mentioned, the use of vaping becomes complicated. Among adults who already smoke, some manage to completely switch to e-cigarettes, and this can reduce some of the harm if they quit smoking completely. However, among adolescents, the pattern we observe is different. Vaping doesn't just "replace" smoking. It often acts as an entry point to nicotine and is often combined with cigarettes or other products leading to dual or even multiple use. Young people who use e-cigarettes are more likely to start smoking later compared to those who have never used e-cigarettes. Thus, for young people, e-cigarettes should not be seen as a smoking cessation tool, but as another nicotine product that can consolidate dependence and broaden the range of ways in which they consume nicotine. Additionally, studies suggest that exposure to nicotine during adolescence, when the brain is still developing, may affect neural circuits involved in attention, learning, and impulse control, increasing the risk of long-term cognitive and neurodevelopmental effects.
How important is the influence of social media in increasing e-cigarette use?
Social media is a key influencer. Teenagers find themselves every day in a digital environment where vaping is "normalized". They come across images and videos of peers, influencers, and even celebrities commenting on flavours or presenting vaping as a stress-relieving tool, usually without any mention of health risks. Algorithms also tend to boost content that receives interest, so engaging vaping-related content is widely circulated among young users. At the same time, marketing has shifted to the internet since even today when direct advertising is restricted, indirect promotion continues. This creates a strong social norm, the sense that "everyone does," which is one of the strongest predictors of experimentation in adolescence.
What measures are being taken in our country? Are they sufficient?
Cyprus, through organizations such as the Addictions Authority, has made significant strides in aligning with EU tobacco control directives, limiting sales to minors, regulating advertising, and expanding smoking prohibition legislation to include e-cigarettes in indoor public spaces. There are also efforts by schools and organizations to educate students and parents about the dangers of smoking and vaping, as well as some law enforcement campaigns against illegal sales. However, the high incidence of vaping among young people tells us that these measures are not sufficient. The enforcement of selling age restrictions is inconsistent, promotion on the internet and social media largely escapes national regulation, and school curricula are not always updated to cover new nicotine products while remaining as an update without shaping the environment of use and provision of healthy alternatives and cultivating life skills. In short, we have the legal framework, but we need much stronger implementation, better monitoring and more modern prevention approaches adapted to the reality of adolescents' digital and social lives.
Why is the new European project RELIEF important, which officially started its work from Cyprus in January 2026? What is the aim of the programme and what actions can be adopted through it?
The RELIEF research project is important because it focuses precisely on this new generation of tobacco and nicotine products, i.e. e-cigarettes, heated tobacco and similar devices, and on the environments in which young people live, study and socialize. The project, which started in November 2025 with the kick-off meeting taking place in Limassol last January, is funded under the EU4Health program and brings together partners from various European countries with the Social Innovation Center as coordinators and us as CUT having undertaken the scientific coordination. Its main objectives are to map current prevention initiatives and policies across Europe, to understand what young people, parents and educators know and believe about these products, and to identify where the biggest gaps lie in protection and awareness. Based on these elements, RELIEF will design together, with students and stakeholders, a set of practical tools such as prevention packages at school and community level, digital tools and communication materials but also in the development of real skills for resistance to the pressure of use. The project will also develop concrete policy recommendations to help countries strengthen regulation, in particular on marketing, flavours and access. For Cyprus, this is an opportunity not only to benefit from European expertise, but also to position itself as a leader in nicotine prevention among young people.
Is vaping, after all, a fad that will pass or is it here to stay?
As a behavioural scientist, I would say that vaping is unlikely to go away on its own. As long as products remain attractive, relatively affordable and are strongly promoted especially on the internet, we should not treat them as a short-term fad. At the same time, history shows that strong, coherent public health action can change the rules. That is, what was once "normal" for smoking is now largely unacceptable in many environments. Whether vaping becomes a long-term endemic problem or a controlled, declining behaviour will depend on what we do now, how quickly we close the regulatory loopholes, how strictly we enforce existing laws, and how seriously we invest in prevention models like Iceland's and projects like RELIEF. The sooner we act, the greater the likelihood that the "vaping era" will be remembered as a phase we successfully overcame, rather than as a new normal for the next generation.
