NEWS
Why do teens vape?
Well for many its all about the flavour
If you listen to the horror
stories about young people
and vaping then you could be
forgiven for thinking that
vaping will be responsible
for a new nicotine addiction
epidemic among teenagers.
In America the FDA has already
classified vaping products as
“electronic nicotine delivery systems”
but this is far from accurate.
As we all know, e-liquid may contain
nicotine or it may contain none at all.
Clearly the apparatus used for inhaling
the vapour of a liquid which contains
no nicotine could not sensibly be
described as an ‘electronic nicotine
delivery system.’
Traditionally, public health groups have
been alarmed at the rising rates of
vaping among teenagers. For example in
2014 the president of the American Lung
Association said:
“E-cigarette use among youth will begin
kids on a lifelong addiction to nicotine
and tobacco products.”
However a new study into what attracts
young people to vaping has found that it
is not necessarily nicotine at all.
In fact a lot of young people care only
about the flavour of the vapour and
choose cool flavours with absolutely no
nicotine at all.
Research from the University of Michigan
examined what substances were vaped
by US youth and looked at youngsters
from eighth, tenth and 12th grade who
used e-cigarettes.
Among students who had ever used
a vaporiser, 65–66% last used ‘just
flavouring’ in 12th, in 10th and in 8th
grade, more than all other
responses combined.
These results challenge the
common assumption that
most yo uth use vaporisers
to vape nicotine.
“
In all three grades, the percentage
using ‘just flavouring’ was above 57%
for males, females, African- Americans,
Hispanics, Whites, and students both
with and without a parent with a
college degree.
Nicotine use came in a distant second,
at about 20% in 12th and 10th grade and
13% in 8th grade.
Taking into account youth who vaped
nicotine at last use increases national
estimates of tobacco/nicotine prevalence
in the past 30 days by 24 – 38% above
and beyond cigarette smoking, which is
substantial but far less than estimates
that assume all vaporiser users
inhale nicotine.
The study concluded: “These results
challenge the common assumption that
all vaporiser users inhale nicotine and
suggest the importance of developing
different rationales for the regulation of
vaporiser devices as compared to the
regulation of substances marketed for
vaporiser use.”
The researchers said that
the results of the study:
call into question the designation of
vaporisers and e-cigarettes as ENDS
( ‘Electronic Nicotine Delivery System’ ),
suggest that the recent rise in
adolescent vaporiser use does not
necessarily indicate a nicotine
epidemic, and indicate that vaporiser
users can be candidates for primary
prevention programmes.
They added: “The use of vaporisers
such as e-cigarettes by adolescents has
grown exponentially in recent years, but
little is known about what substances
they are vaping.
“Using a nationally representative
sample of adolescents we find that most
of them (about 60%) report that they
vaped ‘just flavouring’ at last use. Less
than a quarter reported vaping nicotine
at last use.
“These results challenge the common
assumption that most youth use
vaporisers to vape nicotine.”
VAPOUROUND MAGAZINE ISSUE 07 25