Out of almost 40,000 high school students surveyed, about 12 percent smoked only vapes containing nicotine. About 14 percent smoked some vapes containing nicotine and some without. And only 2.8 percent smoked nicotine-free vapes exclusively.
“While we are still trying to fully grasp the long-term effects of vaping on physical and mental health, our study shows vapes are exposing youth to nicotine and putting them at risk of nicotine addiction,” he said.
Seabrook is chair of School of Food and Nutritional Sciences at the college and he published the research with Evan R. Wiley of Western University in the journal Children. The Western press release announcing the study said it reveals an “alarming trend of nicotine vaping among high school students.”
The study stands out among others done on youth vaping, Seabrook said, because it looks at nicotine vapes in particular and also correlates data with age, gender, and the use of other substances.
Male students vape more, they found. And use of other substances, such as alcohol or cannabis, are linked with more vaping.
Grade 9 students were most likely to smoke both nicotine and nicotine-free vapes, which may suggest transitioning to high school also means transitioning to nicotine vapes. Seabrook said this warrants further investigation.
Students who smoke vapes without nicotine don’t have a good understanding of the risks of e-cigarette chemicals, the study found.
The developmental shifts teens go through, including changes in the limbic system and prefrontal cortex, make them more prone to risky behaviours, including substance use, the study said. While research is well-established on risk factors and trajectories for alcohol and tobacco use, “much less is known about vaping.”
The limited research on vaping has shown, however, that the dangers include seizures from nicotine toxicity, acute pulmonary injury, vape explosions causing injury, exposure to harmful chemicals, nicotine addiction, and various other negative health impacts, the study said.
