Study Suggesting Vaping Is a Gateway to Youth Smoking Questioned by Experts

Today, April 21, news from foreign media reports that a study published this week in the journal Tobacco Control investigated smoking among teenagers and concluded that if they also use e-cigarettes, they are more likely to continue smoking.

In reaching this conclusion, the study examined two different schools of thought: the first is the displacement hypothesis, which suggests that e-cigarette use reduces the frequency of future cigarette use; the second is the catalyst hypothesis, which predicts that e-cigarette use will lead to smoking.

It also cited a study conducted in France, which summarized the former theory—e-cigarette use reduces the frequency of smoking among teenagers.

The UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) stated that it should be emphasized at this point that while the incidence of e-cigarette use among teenagers is relatively low, children's exposure to e-cigarette products is unacceptable, and UKVIA has been working for years to strengthen the regulation of retailers selling e-cigarettes to minors. Progress is being made, but we believe more can be done. It is equally important that we ensure parents and schools are aware of all the facts to help understand the realities surrounding e-cigarettes and to combat the vast amount of misinformation that exists today.

Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) conducted a study in 2022 that found that the incidence of e-cigarette use among previously non-smoking teenagers (0.5%) is very low compared to those who previously smoked (7%).

The study published in Tobacco Control only focused on teenagers who had previously smoked; however, perhaps crucially, it remains unclear, or more precisely, the researchers are unclear, whether e-cigarette use came before or after smoking. Experts writing for the Science Media Centre also pointed out that two key determinants of smoking among young people or adults were overlooked—dependence and mental health. This is important for many reasons,

Dr. Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, Associate Professor of Evidence Policy and Practice at the University of Oxford, said:

"While it is well done, this type of study cannot prove that e-cigarettes lead young people to start smoking or to smoke more than they would without e-cigarettes—the authors acknowledge this as a limitation."

Professor Peter Hajek, Director of the Tobacco Dependence Research Unit at Queen Mary University of London, said:

"If e-cigarettes led to smoking, we would see an increase in smoking rates among young people since the advent of e-cigarettes. In fact, the rate of decline in youth smoking has accelerated."

As mentioned above, UKVIA believes that no child should have access to e-cigarettes or be using e-cigarettes, and more work needs to be done. This also applies to research, as the more we understand about e-cigarette products, the better.