At the end of last month, Montenegro joined the Global Declaration for Healthy and Clean Indoor Air on the sidelines of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, and an inevitable step towards fulfilling that global promise is the ban on the use of tobacco and nicotine products.
“By recently joining the Global Declaration on Healthy and Clean Indoor Air, Montenegro has taken an important and commendable step, standing shoulder to shoulder with countries determined to protect their children and citizens from the preventable harm caused by indoor air pollution. Without a doubt, this decision demonstrates the growing commitment of the Government of Montenegro to preserving the environment, public health and the well-being of future generations,” says the head of the World Health Organization office Mina Brajovic for "Vijesti".
However, he says that promises and signatures are just the beginning, and that the real test of leadership comes when words are translated into actions.
"And the first, unavoidable step that Montenegro must take to fulfill this global promise is to ban the use of tobacco and nicotine products in all indoor spaces," Brajović points out, explaining that we are at a crossroads.
One path, he argues, leads to a future covered in addiction and disease, and the other to a future where every child can breathe freely and grow strong.
The latest data from the Institute of Public Health shows that around 20 percent of 16-year-olds in Montenegro use electronic cigarettes daily, while just a few years ago that percentage was between two and four percent. Of particular concern, they point out, is the fact that as many as seven percent of children first tried an electronic cigarette before the age of 13, and that use is more common among girls than among boys.
Invisible dangers in the air we share
Brajović reminds that the scientific evidence is unequivocal - passive inhalation of tobacco smoke kills and contains more than 7.000 chemicals, hundreds of which are toxic, and at least 70 known substances that cause cancer.
"There is no safe level of exposure to tobacco smoke. Even brief exposure to tobacco smoke indoors can cause heart disease, asthma, or respiratory problems, especially in children and people with chronic illnesses."
She says that newer generations of electronic cigarettes and tobacco products that heat rather than burn tobacco are often advertised as "cleaner" or "less harmful."
"However, a growing body of reports, including evidence from the World Health Organization and independent research, show that they emit nicotine, ultrafine particles, heavy metals and other toxic chemicals into the air. These emissions are not harmless water vapor, as is often portrayed - they degrade indoor air quality, endanger the health of those who live there and normalize nicotine use in public spaces," Brajović emphasizes.
Children learn by watching adults
Children are the most vulnerable victims of indoor air pollution caused by smoking and vaping. Their lung and immune systems are still developing, and exposure to smoke or harmful fumes can lead to chronic respiratory problems, ear infections, and even an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome, Brajović warns.
She says that behind the physical harm lies an equally worrying consequence - children learn by watching adults.
"When they see adults smoking or using a vape or similar product at home, at school, in the hospital, in restaurants, cafes, they begin to perceive these harmful habits as normal, acceptable, and even desirable. By allowing the use of tobacco and nicotine products in enclosed spaces, we shape the habits and health future of our children," says Brajović.
It points out that, while children inhale toxic residues of tobacco and nicotine smoke indoors, the tobacco and nicotine industry is making a profit - expanding its empire, introducing new addictive products and securing markets for the long term, and every day of delay in strengthening tobacco control means greater profits for the industry, and greater risk for our children.
From promises to concrete change
The Global Pledge for Healthy and Clean Indoor Air calls on governments to ensure that the air people breathe in homes, schools, workplaces and public buildings is clean and safe.
"For Montenegro, this means primarily one thing: implementing a comprehensive ban on the use of tobacco and nicotine products in enclosed spaces. Parents, citizens, health workers, have legitimate expectations that there will be no further delays in adopting the new Law on Tobacco Control in Montenegro. Every month of delay in drafting the new law means more exposure, more disease and more suffering, especially for the youngest among us," explains Brajović.
She reminds us that a growing number of countries have already implemented comprehensive bans on the use of these harmful products indoors, and the results are clear: healthier citizens, lower healthcare costs, a cleaner environment and great public support, and that such a policy is not radical, but responsible.
“Meeting our global obligations starts here, at home. Enacting a comprehensive Tobacco Control Act that bans the use of tobacco and nicotine products indoors is a crucial step towards protecting those most vulnerable to the harmful effects of second-hand smoke. Our children deserve to breathe freely and grow up in environments that nurture their health, rather than compromise it. Adhering to the Global Declaration on Clean Indoor Air is not just a global responsibility; it is our moral duty to protect the well-being of the next generation. Clean air should be our legacy, not a world where our children grow up in a cloud of addiction because the tobacco industry’s profits take precedence over their health.”
More than 15 million children worldwide vape
More than 100 million people, including at least 15 million children aged 13 to 15, are using e-cigarettes, according to surveys from 123 countries, leading to a new wave of nicotine addiction, the World Health Organization (WHO) warns.
Research shows that children are nine times more likely to vape than adults, and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has accused the tobacco industry of "aggressively targeting" young people.
The 2024 ESPAD survey indicates that the use of e-cigarettes is growing at an alarming rate - in some countries it is almost 20 percent, and compared to 2019, it has increased by over six to seven times.
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