Amidst multiple claims that vaping may act as a gateway to smoking, a new study by public health researchers at Georgia State University looks into whether teen vaping leads to cannabis use.
Titled, “Are E-Cigarettes a “Gateway” to Cannabis Use Among Adolescents? It Depends on Mental Health Status,” the study was published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. It examined four years of data, from 2013 to 2017 from teens aged between 12 and 17 via the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study, a national longitudinal study of tobacco use and how it affects the health of people in the U.S.
The compiled data indicated that mental health status significantly affects whether adolescents who use e-cigarettes will begin using cannabis. However, highlighted the research team, the likelihood of this happening varied based on the level of mental well-being of the individual teen.
“We know from existing literature that e-cigarette use is associated with subsequent cannabis use, particularly in youth and young adults…
Diane Caruana – VapingPost – 2022-11-01.
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