Vaping at a Young Age May Act as Gateway to Smoking, Review Suggests

Strategic Insights -

Vaping has become increasingly popular among teenagers and young adults, with many using e-cigarettes as a perceived safer alternative to tobacco smoking. However, a comprehensive review of research studies on vaping has found that vaping at a young age may act as a gateway to smoking, increasing the likelihood of transitioning to tobacco smoking by around three times. The study, led by researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the University of York, analyzed a total of 56 reviews conducted between 2016 and 2024 on the impacts of vaping in teenagers and young adults up to the age of 24.

Key Takeaways:

  • The review found that teenagers and young adults who start using e-cigarettes are around three times more likely to go on to smoke tobacco, with a consistent association between vaping and subsequent tobacco smoking found across 21 systematic reviews.
  • Vaping has been linked to a range of health harms, including substance use, respiratory health conditions, and possible effects on mental health, with a significant proportion of studies reporting injuries sustained from failing e-cigarette devices.
  • The risks of vaping to young people's health and follow-on tobacco smoking were broadly found to be consistent across populations in different countries, even when differences in age, sex, and socioeconomic status were taken into account.
  • The study did not compare the health risks associated with e-cigarette use with tobacco smoking, or investigate the factors driving young people to start vaping, such as marketing and advertising.
  • A limitation of the study was the lack of long-term research into the effects of vaping on health, compared with the extensive evidence already published on tobacco-related harms.

Statistics:

  • 5.9% of American middle- and high-school children currently use e-cigarettes, according to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2024).
  • Almost 1 in 10 children in the UK currently vape, based on a survey of secondary school pupils conducted by the UK's National Health Service (NHS) in 2024.
  • The review analyzed a total of 56 reviews conducted between 2016 and 2024 on the impacts of vaping in teenagers and young adults up to the age of 24.
  • 21 systematic reviews conducted across 14 countries looked at the association between vaping in young people and subsequent tobacco smoking.
  • A range of studies reported significant injuries sustained from failing e-cigarette devices.
  • The study found that young people followed up between 4 to 24 months after they reported vaping, appeared to be around three times more likely to go on to smoke tobacco than those who had not used e-cigarettes previously.

Sources:

  • Tobacco Control (2024) - "Vaping and harm in young people: umbrella review" DOI: 10.1136/tc-2024-059219
  • US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2024) - "E-Cigarette Use Among Youth and Young Adults"
  • UK's National Health Service (2024) - "E-Cigarette Use Among Children and Young People"