Canadian Study: Teen Vaping Doubled in Two Years

The study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA Pediatrics), titled "Changes in Vaping Prevalence Among Youth in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom from 2017 to 2019," suggests that the higher nicotine levels available in North America compared to Europe are a concern.

 

The Tobacco Products Directive (TPD), which came into effect in the EU in May 2017, prohibits the sale of e-liquids containing more than 20 mg/ml of nicotine. Public health experts have long argued that setting nicotine limits on safer alternatives (like vaping products) could adversely affect national smoking rates, causing former smokers to relapse.

 

However, on the other hand, this regulation may positively impact youth vaping rates, ensuring that teenagers do not become addicted to nicotine. A survey of over 12,000 Canadians aged 16 to 19 conducted between 2017 and 2019 found that the number of participants reporting use in the past month more than doubled, from 8.4% in 2017 to 17.8% in 2019.

 

In the United States, similar rates were observed, but not in the UK.

The proportion of teenagers reporting using e-cigarettes more than 20 times in the past month jumped from 1.8% to 5.7%, and the total number of Canadian youth who reported having tried e-cigarettes rose from 29.3% in 2019 to 40.6% in 2017.

 

Rob Cunningham, senior policy analyst at the Canadian Cancer Society, stated, "This is shocking, and federal and provincial governments need to take urgent action to reduce youth smoking rates." David Hammond, a public health professor at the University of Waterloo, noted that a similar trend was observed among American teenagers, but not among British teenagers (where vaping is seen as a safer alternative).

 

European 20mg/ml nicotine cap

Hammond pointed out that unlike the 20 mg/ml limit set in Europe, the maximum nicotine content allowed in Canadian e-cigarettes is more than three times that of the EU, at 66 mg/ml. He added that Juul may also play a significant role.

 

Hammond said, "This phenomenon is likely due to Juul, the type of products Juul offers, and the nicotine concentrations. In Canada, we find that kids are using Juul and similar products at the same level as in the U.S., which is why we think this may explain why England has not seen the same growth."

 

In response to these concerns, a spokesperson for Juul Labs Canada insisted that they are committed to working with regulators, policymakers, and law enforcement to combat underage use. The spokesperson stated, "We do not want any non-nicotine users, especially minors, to try our products, as our products are intended solely to help adult smokers find alternatives to combustible cigarettes."