11 hours ago
Teen vaping a gateway to smoking, study suggests
Children who vape are more likely to go on to be smokers, be diagnosed with asthma and have poor mental health, according to new of York experts partnered with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine for the study, said to be the largest global review on vaping in young found "consistent evidence" that young people who vaped were three times more likely to become smokers, with an increased risk of respiratory illness and substance Su Golder, associate professor in health science at York, called for marketing restrictions, saying: "Anything that could reduce the uptake of vaping in young people would be welcomed."
Experts analysed all available reviews on youth vaping, which included 56 reviews on 384 of these looked at the use of e-cigarettes among young people and later cigarette data suggested an increased risk among young people who vaped of developing asthma or asthma exacerbation, with other outcomes including pneumonia, bronchitis, lower total sperm counts, dizziness, headaches and was also a link identified between depression and suicidal thoughts among young Golder said the "consistency in the evidence is striking".
She said: "Across multiple studies, young people who use e-cigarettes are more likely to smoke in the future."These findings support stronger public health measures to protect teens from the risks associated with vaping."Dr Golder suggested increased regulation of vaping, "particularly restrictions on marketing that's aimed at young people and not at the smoking sensation side of things".Commenting on the study, Jamie Strachan, operations director at vape retailer VPZ, said: "Vaping is intended solely for existing adult smokers as a less harmful alternative to combustible tobacco."It should never be marketed to, sold to, or used by children and non-smokers."Dr James Murphy from British American Tobacco said that "enforcing high standards and preventing under-age use is vital to achieving the UK's smoke-free goal".
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