The growing use of E-cigarettes in schools has sparked debate in the Moroccan Parliament, where members from the Authenticity and Modernity Party and the National Rally of Independents called on the ministry of Health to activate special programs to combat this phenomenon.
During a parliamentary session yesterday, a member from the National Rally of Independents pointed out that E-cigarettes smoking has seen a significant rise among children and teenagers in front of secondary schools in both urban and rural areas, impacting the health of young people and increasing their risk of cancer.
On the other hand, a member from the Authenticity and Modernity Party emphasized the need to address this issue from a security perspective, especially by intensifying security campaigns in front of school gates, citing statistics showing that 9.6% of children obtained an e-cigarette between the age of 10 and 12, while 23.4% acquired one between 13 and 14 years old.
In response, Minister of Health Khalid Ait Taleb stated that the ministry is working on programs to combat smoking in general, not specifically targeting e-cigarettes.
He highlighted the launch of the program ‘Your Health in Your Style’ to address various negative aspects of children’s behaviors, pointing out that overeating may pose a greater risk to children’s health than e-cigarettes, and stressed the importance of discussing health programs that protect children’s well-being, including not only e-cigarettes but also promoting sports, combating overeating, and more.
Many parliamentarians perceived the Minister’s response, which drew a comparison between e-cigarette use and overeating, as an attempt to downplay the associated risks, igniting a spirited debate within the parliament.
