Vaping, a Pathway to Nicotine Addiction for Teens

New study presented at European Respiratory Society International Congress[1] in Barcelona revealed that the majority of adolescents (68%) who had tried an e-cigarette at least once in Ireland had never been smokers before. The study also indicated that young people with parents who smoke are much more likely to smoke or vape.

The research was conducted by a team from the TobaccoFree Research Institute Ireland (TFRI) in Dublin. They looked at data from 6,216 young people aged 17 and 18, including information on whether their parents smoked when they were children. The researchers asked the teenagers whether they smoked or used e-cigarettes. The team also analysed data from national surveys of 10,000 Irish teenagers (aged 16 to 17) to examine the prevalence and use of e-cigarettes among them.

Vaping: a gateway to nicotine rather than an exit

The proportion of Irish 16- and 17-year-olds who had tried e-cigarettes at least once increased from 23% in 2014 to 39% in 2019. There were 32% who had tried conventional cigarettes at least once in 2019. Although boys were more likely to try or use e-cigarettes, the researchers found that rates were increasing faster among girls. In July 2022, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH UK) published the results of an annual survey of 11- to 17-year-olds[2]The organization was alerted to the increase in regular vaping among adolescents, which rose from 4,% in 2020 to 7% in 2022.

The main reasons given by adolescents for initiating e-cigarettes were curiosity (66 %) and because their friends vape (29 %). Only 3 % said it was to quit smoking. The proportion of those who reported never having used tobacco when they first tried e-cigarettes increased from 32 % in 2015 to 68 % in 2019.

TFRI Chief Executive, Professor Luke Clancy, explained: “We have seen increasing use of e-cigarettes among Irish teenagers and this is a trend that is emerging elsewhere in the world. There is a perception that vaping is a better alternative to smoking, but our research shows that this does not apply to teenagers who have generally not tried traditional cigarettes before e-cigarettes. This suggests that for teenagers, vaping is a gateway into nicotine addiction, rather than a way out of it.”

Teens are more likely to smoke/vape if their parents smoke

Studies have long shown the correlation between parental smoking and children's increased likelihood of starting to smoke as well.[3]. According to this Irish study, having parents who smoke is also a factor in initiating vaping. Adolescents whose parents smoked were approximately 55% more likely to try vaping. electronic cigarettes and about 51 % more likely to start smoking than other young people.

According to one of the researchers, Salome Sunday, " The close environment, including parents and peers, friends influence adolescents' decision to try different nicotine products and it is important to act on this because these are avoidable factors. "She adds that governments also have a role to play in adopting protective legislation for children and young people with regard to all nicotine products. Proven tobacco control measures must be transposed to vaping products.

Keywords: Ireland, vaping, e-cigarette, adolescents, addiction, nicotine, influence

©Generation Without Tobacco

AE

[1] Press release, Teenagers more likely to vape if their parents smoke, European lung foundation, published on September 3, 2022, accessed on September 6, 2022

[2] Fears of growth in children vaping disposables backed up by new national survey, ASH UK, published 7 July 2022, accessed 29 August 2022.

[3] Smoking: Teenagers imitate their parents, Santé magazine, published September 4, 2022, accessed September 6, 2022