Johannesburg – A controversial study is suggesting that flavoured vapes are less harmful than cigarettes to young people, and could be used to help them quit smoking.
The new research led by the University of East Anglia (UEA) in the UK examined the views and experiences of a half a million under 18s.
The scientists wanted to find out if young people started vaping because they are attracted to e-liquid flavours and if this led them to start smoking tobacco.
They found that for young vapers flavours were important and that this could be used to help them move away from tobacco smoking.
“Flavours may be an important motivator for e-cigarette uptake – but we found no evidence that using flavoured e-liquids attracted young people to go on to take up tobacco smoking,” said the lead researcher, Prof Caitlin Notley, from UEA’s Norwich Medical School, in a statement.
Their research was published in the journal Addiction.
Shaun Smillie – IOL – 2021-11-20.
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