Vaping amongst Ontario teens on the rise, study says

One in four Ontario teens are vaping according to a recent study from the University of Waterloo.

The study surveyed almost 50,000 students from more than 150 schools across the country.

The results show that teenagers with disposable income, who live in low-income homes, or who are gender-diverse are more likely to use e-cigarettes.

While the amount of cigarette smokers has decreased in recent years, vapes are being used by teens who aren’t considered high-risk for traditional cigarette use.

“Our findings suggest that e-cigarettes are attracting new groups of adolescents who aren’t considered high-risk for traditional cigarette use,” said Dr. Kate Battista of the University of Waterloo. “We expected to find certain specific high-risk groups, but we instead found that nearly all demographic groups who had enough spending money were at risk of vaping.”

In past studies, teens would sometimes pick up cigarette smoking from a parent, but nearly all the teens in the study who use cigarettes also use vapes.

“Adolescence is a pivotal period for the development of substance-use behaviours, and students who start using e-cigarettes and cigarettes now are at greater risk for issues like dependence and health consequences later in life,” said Battista.

The study suggested that because disposable income leads to teens purchasing vapes, government policies and e-cigarette companies need to implement policies to limit their access to these kinds of products.

For more information about the risks of vaping, head to canada.ca/vaping.