Study: Teens Are Using E-Cigarettes Because Of Coolness Factor
- 8 years ago
Teenagers are using e-cigarettes because of their perceived trendiness, finds a new study.
YTeenagers are using e-cigarettes because of their perceived trendiness, finds a new study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ).
The research involved surveying 2,367 9th graders aged 14-15 years living in Ontario, Canada.
About 10 percent of the respondents admitted to using e-cigarettes, and the majority of this group--about 72 percent--revealed that they did so because the activity was considered cool, fun, or new.
As one of the paper’s authors, Dr. Michael Khoury, is quoted as saying in the Toronto Star, this motivation is “really concerning because they’re clearly not using them for what they’re marketed as, which is as smoking cessation devices.”
In fact, less than six percent of participants said they were using the device for smoking reduction or cessation.
Dr. Khoury tells Motherboard that it’s too early to determine if e-cigarettes promote smoking among teens who like the coolness factor or if the tools are, in fact, a safer alternative for those already susceptible to the behavior.
While researchers recognize that the study is limited in scope and does not prove causation, they nonetheless support “the continued development of strict regulations to reduce the use of e-cigarettes among adolescents.”
YTeenagers are using e-cigarettes because of their perceived trendiness, finds a new study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ).
The research involved surveying 2,367 9th graders aged 14-15 years living in Ontario, Canada.
About 10 percent of the respondents admitted to using e-cigarettes, and the majority of this group--about 72 percent--revealed that they did so because the activity was considered cool, fun, or new.
As one of the paper’s authors, Dr. Michael Khoury, is quoted as saying in the Toronto Star, this motivation is “really concerning because they’re clearly not using them for what they’re marketed as, which is as smoking cessation devices.”
In fact, less than six percent of participants said they were using the device for smoking reduction or cessation.
Dr. Khoury tells Motherboard that it’s too early to determine if e-cigarettes promote smoking among teens who like the coolness factor or if the tools are, in fact, a safer alternative for those already susceptible to the behavior.
While researchers recognize that the study is limited in scope and does not prove causation, they nonetheless support “the continued development of strict regulations to reduce the use of e-cigarettes among adolescents.”