In this parents guide to vaping, there is a critical update. If a teenage child has a habit of vaping, it may lead to smoking habits later in life. This comes as a surprise to those who believe electronic cigarettes help them stay away from tobacco.
According to a recent study, vaping during the sophomore year actually takes a teenager a bit closer to traditional smoking in the coming six months. Their classmates who are not engaged in vaping are less likely to get addicted to smoking later on. In addition, the vapers are more likely to smoke more than the rest as well.
The study was conducted among more than 3,000 students from L.A. County public schools. The research findings were published in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. on Tuesday. The findings suggest that it may be justified to consider e-cigarettes as the first step for teenagers to get addicted to tobacco products.
According to Dr. Tom Frieden, e-cigarettes can lead teenagers to nicotine addiction. The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that teenagers are more vulnerable to traditional cigarette smoking if they are already addicted vaping. Every parents guide to vaping gives importance to the teenage period, as that's the time when people get addicted to smoking.
In the latter part of their sophomore year, frequent vapers are more likely to smoke two or more cigarettes on a single day. According to statistics, 12% of such students are likely to start smoking in the spring. Only 4% occasional vapers, on the other hand, start smoking, while just 0.4% of those who do not vape at all start smoking later on.
The LA Times refers to the study that found 96% students starting as nonsmokers. Out of those, 10% frequent vapers became frequent smokers. But, fewer than 1% non-vapers started smoking later in the year. This must serve as a parents guide to vaping and help them know more about the issue.
