News — A fresh analysis of over 50,000 American teenagers nationwide reveals a strong correlation between nicotine vaping and a heightened propensity for extensive engagement in binge drinking and cannabis consumption.
The results, released today in the peer-reviewed journal Substance Use and Misuse, will contribute to mounting public health worries regarding the surging prevalence of electronic cigarette (or 'vaping') adoption among adolescents.
"Although vaping carries lower health risks compared to smoking, it is still detrimental to adolescents and requires continuous monitoring, particularly considering the unknown long-term consequences," states lead author Noah Kreski from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.
"Our findings suggest that vaping is not a standalone behavior but rather closely linked to other substance use that can jeopardize adolescents' well-being and complicate nicotine cessation. Acknowledging the significant association between different forms of substance use, effective intervention initiatives should aim to address vaping, alcohol consumption, and cannabis use concurrently, promoting the health and welfare of young individuals."
The scientists utilized the Monitoring the Future survey, administered by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), to monitor the prevalence of cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, cannabis usage, nicotine vaping, cannabis vaping, and other substances among students in grades 8 (13-14 years old), 10 (15-16 years old), and 12 (17-18 years old).
The researchers analyzed data from a sample of 51,872 adolescents who participated in the survey from 2017 to 2019. They investigated the associations between nicotine use in the past 30 days (non-use, smoking-only, vaping-only, and both smoking and vaping) and cannabis use in the past 30 days. To control for specific demographic factors such as age, sex, race, parental education, and urbanicity, appropriate adjustments were made.
When examining nicotine use and cannabis use in any form, including vaping, the researchers discovered that compared to adolescents who abstained from nicotine completely, those who:
- smoked were 8.03 times more likely to use cannabis.
- vaped were 20.31 times more likely to use cannabis.
- both smoked and vaped were 40.1 times more likely to use cannabis.
The researchers also identified a correlation between nicotine use in the past 30 days and binge drinking within the past two weeks, even after accounting for adjustments. The strength of the association between smoking/vaping and binge drinking intensified as the level of binge drinking escalated. For example, compared to adolescents who refrained from nicotine altogether, those who both smoked and vaped were:
- 5.6 times more inclined to engage in a single episode of binge drinking.
- 21.60 times more prone to involve in binge drinking on three to five occasions.
- 36.53 times more inclined to partake in binge drinking on ten occasions or more.
"The correlations observed between vaping-only, as well as both smoking and vaping, with cannabis use and binge drinking outcomes among adolescents, are notably significant, particularly at higher levels of binge drinking. Although the causal direction of these associations remains uncertain, the magnitude of the effect is worrisome considering the risks these substances present to adolescents," comments Kreski, a Data Analyst at Columbia University.
"Considering the robust associations between nicotine use and both cannabis use and binge drinking, it is imperative to implement ongoing interventions, restrictions on advertising and promotion, as well as national public education campaigns aimed at reducing vaping among adolescents. These efforts should recognize the concurrent use of multiple substances," emphasizes the need for coordinated actions, as stated by the researchers.
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