Capitalism innovates, consumers consume, and government regulations are always a step behind. But eventually, they catch up—and when they do, they need to be enforced with real rigour.

After years of creeping into mainstream culture, e-cigarettes, or vapes as they’re commonly known, have finally caught the attention of health agencies and governments worldwide. The alarming rise in their use is now being recognized as an extension of the tobacco problem. Britain is leading the charge, becoming the first major European country to ban single-use vapes next year, aiming to curb usage among children aged 11 to 17. It’s about time, and hopefully, other nations will soon follow, eventually pushing towards stricter global restrictions on e-cigarettes.

It took decades for activists and doctors to convince governments to crack down on cigarette advertising, which had glamorized smoking as cool and desirable, masking the serious health risks and addictive nature of tobacco. Even after that, it took more years of regulation to distance cigarette sales from places like schools and neighbourhood shops, resulting in a gradual but significant decline in smoking rates. Yet, tobacco companies quickly adapted, repackaging nicotine in a new form—e-cigarettes. They’ve made them colourful, varied, and visually appealing, marketing them as a fun, healthy alternative to traditional cigarettes.

Once again, they’ve zeroed in on younger audiences, leading to a surge in vaping among teens and preteens worldwide. What’s even more concerning is the liquid used in these e-cigarettes. It’s largely unknown how many harmful chemicals are present, and there’s a lack of comprehensive studies on the long-term health effects.

The hope is that the world soon wakes up to the dangers of vaping, stops seeing it as a healthier substitute, and starts recognizing it for what it truly is: an untested, potentially harmful product, cleverly designed to reignite the tobacco industry’s profit machine.