Vaping found to be the biggest risk factor for teenage tobacco smoking

Data from Australian Secondary School Students Alcohol and Drug Survey predates ‘huge’ increase in vaping

Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast

E-cigarette use is the single strongest risk factor for adolescents taking up tobacco smoking, out-ranking social norms, poor mental health and misperceptions about smoking harms, research published on Wednesday has found.

The findings come from 4,266 Victorian students aged 12 to 17 who anonymously took part in the 2017 Australian Secondary School Students Alcohol and Drug Survey (Assad), with researchers then focusing on 3,410 students who reported never having smoked even part of a cigarette.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading…

About Author