Thursday, March 28, 2024

Study: Teen Vaping Leads To Subsequent Marijuana Use

Young people who vape are more likely to consume cannabis, as well as engage in other addictive behaviors, according to a new study.

Replacing cigarettes with vaping nicotine was supposed to disrupt the addictive and destructive patterns caused by mass tobacco consumption. But early research into the Juuling and e-cigarette phenomenon indicates that young people who vape are more likely to consume cannabis, as well as engage in other addictive behaviors. According to a study published Monday in the JAMA Pediatrics, ingesting nicotine at an early age interrupts brain development in adolescents and should be discouraged.

“We can’t think of e-cigarettes as a less-harmful alternative to cigarettes with adolescents,” Dr. Nicholas Chadi, lead author of the study, told CNN. He added that, “just like cigarettes, e-cigarettes increase your risk of using marijuana, and marijuana, we know, has several implications and negative health consequences in adolescents.”

RELATED: Flavored E-Cigarettes Are Fueling Dangerous Increase In Tobacco Use

Published in the JAMA Pediatrics journal, Chadi and his team analyzed over 20 previous studies that examined the relationship between teenage vaping and cannabis use. They found consuming nicotine at an early age led someone to be 3.5 times more likely to later smoke marijuana. That relationship was stronger amongst those aged 17 years and younger, compared to those between 18 to 24. Chadi says this is because “a younger brain is more vulnerable to the effects of substances in general.”

Photo by Vaping 360 via Flickr

He added that, “you would expect that there would be a higher risk of them using marijuana, versus an older adolescent or young adult who might have a more developed brain and might not be as sensitive to the negative effects of nicotine.”

Chadi emphasized this meta-analysis focused on correlation, not causation. This research does not prove early-age vaping leads to teenage marijuana use. But where there’s smoke, there’s fire. “A reasonable hypothesis is that e-cigarette use might cause at least a part of that increased risk of using marijuana,” Chadi said.

In addition, this is not the first research to pinpoint such a correlation. A 2018 Pediatrics study found that teenagers vaping and smoking hookah were up to four times more likely to consume marijuana.

RELATED: Legalizing Marijuana Seems To Lower Teen Interest In Weed

“The association between tobacco use and subsequent marijuana use across adolescence extends to multiple tobacco products,” the researchers of the study concluded.

Though previous research indicates that marijuana legalization discourages teenage use, adolescent cannabis consumption can lead to later problems, including adult memory loss and depression.

MUST READ

The Best St. Patrick’s Day Cocktail Recipes

Parades, wearing green and especially drinks - here are the best St. Patrick Day Cocktail recipes.

MORE BY THIS AUTHOR

Like Marijuana, Sleep Deprivation Can Trigger The Munchies

Lack of sleep is rough and can cause weight gain. Data shows like marijuana, sleep deprivation can trigger the munchies.

Don't Miss Your Weekly Dose of The Fresh Toast.

Stay informed with exclusive news briefs delivered directly to your inbox every Friday.

We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.