Vaping in teens is growing more and more prominent. A new study shows that the vaping rate has doubled in teens over recent years.
More teens are vaping these days than ever before. And now, a new study reveals that this troubling trend could result in a variety of health issues over the long run.
The study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, found that between 2013 and 2020, the vaping rate had doubled in teens. Researchers analyzed data from over 200,000 teens in Canada and the United States. Teens in their senior year of high school were more likely to vape when compared to younger teens and preferred vaping to smoking cannabis flower — something that’s of interest to researchers since it could potentially expose teens to bigger risks over the years.
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Cannabis extracts, such as the ones that are present in vapes, dabs, and more, contain a higher amount of THC per dose. Study author Carmen Lim told CNN in an email that, “Not only it is linked to poorer cognitive development in adolescents, it could increase risk of dependence, other substance use and many other health, social, and behavioral problems later in life.”
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We’ve often talked about the risks of cannabis abuse in teens, a concern that plagues marijuana advocates and opposers. Marijuana’s effect in the adolescent brain is different than the one it has on adults, correlated to damage in learning, memory, problem solving skills, and their overall attention spans.
Aside from all of this information that has been gathered over the years, vaping has been linked with a variety of risks that make it more dangerous than smoking THC or cigarettes. It has been linked with cases of EVALI, a lung condition that’s present in people who regularly vape, especially those who regularly vape cannabis.
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The cannabis landscape is tough to navigate nowadays, especially since the drug is going through a phase of revision and researchers and healthcare workers are emphasizing on many of its medicinal effects. Still, when it comes to teens, the data is clear; cannabis affects them differently and the substance should be viewed as any other risky substance.
