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Nicotine products such as snus, nicotine pouches, and vaping devices have become more popular among young people in Denmark in recent years, with fully 35.1 percent of 15- to 29-year-olds using them daily or regularly, up from 26.3 percent as recently as 2020. 

Use of cigarettes fell from 20.1 percent to 19 percent over the period while use of smokefree nicotine products rose from 9.1 percent to 12.9 percent. 

The numbers come from a study carried out by Denmark's National Institute of Public Health and the University of Southern Denmark on behalf of the Danish Health Authority. 

Past research shows that smoking has a negative impact on a person’s blood vesselsTrusted Source — more than 30% of deathsTrusted Source from coronary heart disease occur from active smoking or secondhand smokeTrusted Source exposure. Now, researchers from Herlev and Gentofte Hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark, have found evidence suggesting that smoking not only impacts a person’s blood vessels but also weakens the structure of the heart itself, impacting how well it functions. 

The government last month unveiled plans to ensure that future generations are tobacco-free by banning the sale of cigarettes and other nicotine products to anyone born after 2010.

People under 18 are not legally allowed to purchase cigarettes under current Danish laws, so although the ban would not have an effect for six years, it would prevent people born after 2010 from ever buying cigarettes.

But the Danish plan now looks unlikely in its current form because EU member states may not forbid the sale of tobacco, according to a response given to a parliamentary question by the health minister, Magnus Heunicke.

Denmark has unveiled plans to ban the sale of cigarettes and nicotine products to any citizens born after 2010.

The move aims to prevent the next generation of Danes from touching any form of tobacco, Health Minister Magnus Heunicke told a press conference.

"If necessary, we are ready to ban sales to this generation [born in 2010] by gradually raising the purchase age limit," Heunicke said.

Under current rules, Danish citizens under the age of 18 are banned from buying tobacco or smoking electronic cigarettes.

But around 31% of people aged between 15 and 29 still smoke, Heunicke said.