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Teenagers who use e-cigarettes are more likely to try tobacco

Pastoral issues PSHE
Many people assume that e-cigarettes are safer than conventional cigarettes. However, new research has found that teenagers who have tried an e-cigarette (known as “vaping”) are nearly four times more likely to start smoking regular cigarettes within a year than peers who have never used e-cigarettes.

The study, published in the journal Tobacco Control, reported a “robust association” between e-cigarette use and the increased probability of smoking a cigarette within 12 months.

The research team, which included academics from Leeds, Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan, Durham, Staffordshire and York universities, surveyed nearly 2,840 teenagers from 20 schools in England. The vast majority of them were non-smokers, while a third had used an e-cigarette in the past.

A year later the youngsters were surveyed again. They were asked if they had tried a conventional cigarette and if so, how often.

A third of the teenagers (34 per cent) who had never smoked in the past but had tried an e-cigarette said they had smoked at least one cigarette during the year.

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