News Medical: NYU study provides better understanding of youth vaping patterns

[LoveVanilla]

NYU study provides better understanding of youth vaping patterns

While youth vaping rates have increased in recent years, most middle and high school students don't vape or smoke and very few vape or smoke daily, finds a study led by researchers at NYU School of Global Public Health.

The study, published this month in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research, finds that over 80 percent of youth do not use any tobacco and over 86 percent don't vape--and among the minority who do vape, most are not regular users. In addition, the study reveals that most youth who are vaping are also current or former smokers.

"The faster drop in smoking suggests vaping is helping displace youth use of much more deadly smoking--a net harm reduction benefit to the population as a whole," said David Abrams, a professor of social and behavioral sciences at NYU School of Global Public Health and a study coauthor.

The researchers also found that while youth vaping increased from 2017 to 2018, the increase was driven by infrequent e-cigarette use rather than regular use: in 2018, while 13.8 percent of students had vaped in the 30 days, more than half of them vaped five days or fewer.

"We need to avoid prohibitionist regulations like banning e-cigarettes--while leaving much more deadly cigarettes and cigars in corner stores--and instead should consider strong enforcement of age 21 sales restrictions. Prohibition creates a black market for vaping products or inadvertently pushes individuals back to smoking tobacco."

Note: Posted previously within another thread. Posting here for access and reference.