According to a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), students who use electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) by the time they start ninth grade are more likely than others to start using traditional cigarettes and other combustible tobacco products within the next year.
The study compared tobacco use initiation among 222 students who had used e-cigarettes, but not combustible tobacco products, and 2,308 students who had used neither e-cigarettes nor combustible tobacco products when initially surveyed at the start of ninth grade. During the first six months after being surveyed, 30 percent of those who had used e-cigarettes started using combustible tobacco products – cigarettes, cigars, and hookahs – compared to only 8 percent of those who had never used e-cigarettes. Over the following six months leading to the start of 10th grade, 25 percent of e-cigarette users had used combustible tobacco products, compared to just 9 percent of nonusers.
During the first six months after being surveyed, 30 percent of those who had used e-cigarettes started using combustible tobacco products – cigarettes, cigars, and hookahs – compared to only 8 percent of those who had never used e-cigarettes.
“While teen tobacco use has fallen in recent years, this study confirms that we should continue to vigilantly watch teen smoking patterns,” said National Institute on Drug Abuse Director Nora Volkow, M.D. “Parents and teens should recognize that although e-cigarettes may not have the same carcinogenic effects of regular cigarettes, they do carry a risk of addiction.”
Recreational e-cigarette use is becoming increasingly popular among teens who have never smoked tobacco, and teens who enjoy the experience of inhaling e-cigarettes may be more likely to experiment with other nicotine products.
While e-cigarettes are promoted as safer alternatives to traditional cigarettes, little is actually known about the health risks of using these devices. Because e-cigarettes are not currently marketed either as tobacco products or as devices having a therapeutic purpose, they are not regulated by the FDA.
Although they do not produce tobacco smoke, e-cigarettes still contain nicotine, which is a highly addictive drug, and other
potentially harmful chemicals. Testing of some e-cigarette products found the vapor to contain known carcinogens and toxic chemicals, such as formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, as well as potentially toxic particles from the vaporizing mechanism. The health consequences of repeated exposure to these chemicals are not clear.
“While we cannot conclude that e-cigarette use directly leads to smoking, this research raises concerns that recent increases in youth e-cigarette use could ultimately perpetuate the epidemic of smoking-related illness,” stated Adam Leventhal, Ph.D., associate professor and director of the Health, Emotion, & Addiction Laboratory at the Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles.
To learn more about e-cigarettes, visit the National Institute on Drug Abuse website.