A new study in the UK has found that the smoking rate among teenagers who use vapes has risen to the levels seen in the 1970s, raising concerns that vapes could be a route to tobacco addiction. Although the smoking rate among teenagers has dropped significantly over the past 50 years, one-third of those who use vapes are still smoking.
Key points:
- A British study has found that the smoking rate among teenagers who use vapes has risen to the levels seen in the 1970s. Currently, one-third of vape users are still smoking.
- Data comparison: At the age of 17, less than 5% of young people reported smoking weekly, but this proportion rose to 33% among vape users.
- Expert opinion: The study suggests that the use of vapes has contributed to the increase in the smoking rate among teenagers, although there is controversy over this.
- Policy background: The British government has implemented a one-time ban on vapes in June to prevent teenagers from becoming addicted to nicotine.
According to a report by the Telegraph on July 30th, a new study in the UK has found that the smoking rate among teenagers using vapes has risen to the level seen in the 1970s, raising concerns that vapes could be a route to tobacco addiction.
Although the smoking rate among teenagers has dropped significantly over the past 50 years, currently accounting for only 1.5% of the population, one-third of the teenagers who use vapes are still smoking. Researchers from the University of Michigan stated that this proportion is the same as the smoking rate among teenagers in 1974.
Dr Jessica Mongili from the University of Michigan’s Center for Drug, Alcohol, Smoking and Health Research said:
- “According to the data, the overall nicotine usage rate is still declining, but at a slower pace than before. The stagnation of this downward trend is likely due to the increase in the use of vapes, especially among teenagers and young adults. Although this study does not consider vapes as a means or catalyst for smoking, a large number of studies have reached this conclusion.”
Since 2015, selling vapes to people under the age of 18 has been illegal. However, despite the ban, it is estimated that one-third of young people have tried vapes by the age of 15. In recent years, the number of teenagers aged 11 to 15 using vapes has doubled.
The government is increasingly concerned about teenagers’ use of vapes and has implemented a one-time vape ban in June to prevent children and teenagers from becoming addicted to nicotine through cheap, disposable devices.
The National Health Service (NHS) in the UK has warned that vape users may become addicted within just a few days. Nicotine can affect concentration, hinder young people’s learning and abilities, and also increase fatigue, stress and anxiety.
A new study has found that at the age of 17, less than one-fifth of young people reported smoking cigarettes weekly. However, for those who had previously tried vapes, this proportion rose to one-tenth, while the current users of vapes increased to 33%.
- “For teenagers who have used vapes, the downward trend in the likelihood of smoking is weakening, while for those currently using vapes, this trend has reversed.”
The researchers concluded.
The researchers stated that lawmakers should focus on reducing the usage of current vape users and preventing their further spread.
However, some experts have warned that the connection between smoking and vapes may not be a causal relationship. Young people who might smoke due to risk factors such as poverty and low educational levels are also more likely to use vapes.
Peter Hajek, a professor of clinical psychology at Queen Mary University of London, is an advocate of vapes as an aid for quitting smoking. He said:
- A more likely scenario is that this discovery merely indicates that those who are interested in vapes are also interested in cigarettes, just as people who don’t drink alcohol are more likely to try red wine compared to those who don’t drink at all.
In response to this, Dr. Mongilio stated that the research has examined whether teenagers smoke or use vapes merely because of the “higher risks”, and found that even for high-risk teenagers, if they do not use vapes, their likelihood of smoking remains very low.
- This is a very common view, but it is not entirely correct. We examined the likelihood of high-risk and low-risk teenagers and found that the use of vapes did indeed increase the probability. That is to say, for those high-risk teenagers who have never used vapes, the likelihood of smoking remains very low.
She added.
- This study was published in the journal “Tobacco Control”.
