Vaping: E-cigarettes may lead to higher risk of future smoking among youth

Electronic cigarettes are gaining popularity among youngsters these days. There has been a lot of debates to zero on whether e-cigarettes are a perfect getaway to smoking or not. If e-cigarettes contribute to more smoking among youth, then it is going to be harmful for public health and will ultimately increase the cancer cases. A new study led by Samir, Soneji and James Sargent suggests that this potential ill-effect of e-cigarette smoking has to be taken seriously. 

The study stressed on an important concern: Does e-cigarette increase the risk of future cigarette smoking among adults and youth? The team conducted a research to find an answer to this question. They anlaysed the published studies that began with non-smoking youths and asked whether initial e-cigarette use can increase the risk. 

To rule out the possibility that e-cigarette users were simply higher risk youths, the analyses adjusted for known risk factors for cigarette smoking (like having a friend that smokes). The results showed strong and consistent evidence of greater risk between initial e-cigarette use and subsequent cigarette smoking initiation, regardless of how initiation was defined and net other factors that predict cigarette smoking.

The studies did not address why e-cigarette use increases risk of transitioning to cigarettes. The reason could be that e-cigarettes mimic smoking behaviour through similar involvement of hand-to-mouth movements, or puffing and exhalation. E-cigarette aerosol also contains nicotine, so use of these devices could enhance exposure and eventual addiction to this substance.

Also Read: Nicotine Addiction: Why quitting smoking gets so difficult?

"The finding is very consistent across studies. That along with the strength of the association makes it probable that e-cigarette use is one cause of cigarette smoking," said Sargent. "E-cigarette use could affect population trends in youth smoking if use becomes more common, and that is the big public health concern."

"In addition to the currently enacted age restrictions on in-store sales, regulatory actions to limit e-cigarette use could include restrictions on advertising campaigns that may be viewed by adolescents, flavour restrictions for e-cigarettes that exclude fruit and candy flavours, strict standards for reporting actual nicotine content in e-liquid, and requirements for strict age verification for online and retail sales of these products" suggested Soneji.

Also Read: India remains world's second largest consumer of tobacco, though fewer Indians use it

Until more effective regulatory actions are taken, the team will continue to evaluate the excess risk posed by e-cigarette use for cigarette smoking with newer generations of e-cigarettes. The findings will be published in an upcoming issue of JAMA Pediatrics. 

(With ANI Inputs) 

To read more related news, visit the Health section under Lifestyle