About 40% of Dutch adults ages 18 to 29 smoke or vape, putting the government’s goal of a smoke-free generation by 2040 further out of reach, according to research by insurance comparison site Independer involving 2,000 people.
The share of smokers declines with age, from 30% among people in their 30s to 17% among those over 45 and 10% among people ages 60 and older. The research also found a strong connection between social media and youth tobacco use: about 75% of young adults see smoking or vaping videos, and one-third of those viewers said the content had tempted them to start.
More than a quarter of young adults who see such content said they buy cigarettes or vapes through social media, despite such sales being prohibited in the Netherlands since July 2023. The government’s 2040 target calls for no young people to smoke or vape and for adult smoking and vaping prevalence to fall to 5%.
