Vaping increases the risk of smoking cigarettes among young adults, says new study

WE’LL BE STRAIGHTFORWARD: The science behind vaping is all over the place. Some studies say nicotine-packed e-cigs are particularly harmful to your heart health, while others suggest that vaping is a better alternative because cigarettes release more cancer-causing carcinogens.

And while we’ve previously reported on a study that shows vapers are more likely to quit smoking, the latest research suggests the exact opposite.

Young adults who use e-cigarettes are four times more likely to start smoking traditional tobacco products than their nonvaping counterparts, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Medicine.

In the study, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh analyzed a survey of American adults (ages 18-30) who were randomly selected in 2013 to complete a questionnaire about their tobacco use. In 2014, roughly 18 months later, the 915 participants who said they had never smoked cigarettes before completed a follow-up survey.

The results of the follow-up survey showed that nearly 50% of people who said they used e-cigarettes in the first questionnaire had started smoking cigarettes 18 months later, compared to only 10.2% of those who did not use e-cigarettes.

“Our findings suggest that clinicians who treat e-cigarette users should counsel them both about their potential for harm and about the high risk of transitioning to tobacco cigarettes among initial nonsmokers,” says Brian A. Primack, M.D., Ph.D., the study’s lead author. That’s because cutting cigarettes out of your life won’t just give your health a boost, studies have shown that smokers actually make less money and have more trouble getting hired.

by Erin Alexander