Teens who vape more likely to become smokers: study

Use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) put teens on the way to become smokers of traditional cigarettes, and they gradually smoke more heavily, according to a new study.

A team of researchers surveyed more than 3,000 school students in the Los Angeles area. Nearly 33 per cent of the 10th-graders admitted that they vaped at least once; while 4 per cent said they used e-cigarettes once or twice in the last month. Five per cent said they vaped more frequently.

The researchers found that 20 per cent of frequent vapers moved onto regular smoking within next six months, and 12 per cent became occasional smokers.

Lead researcher Adam Leventhal, a professor of preventive medicine & psychology at the University Of Southern California Keck School Of Medicine, those who use e-cigarettes frequently are more likely to become heavy cigarette smokers.

Sharing findings of their study, Leventhal said, “The more you vape, the more likely in the future you're going to be smoking (cigarettes). You’re going to be smoking more frequently, and you're going to smoke more cigarettes per day on your smoking days.”

The findings, reported in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA), is challenges the growing vaping industry’s claim that e-cigarettes can help tackle traditional cigarette smoking.