Teens who use e-cigarettes are more likely to take up smoking, US study finds

High school students who have used electronic (e) cigarettes are considerably more likely to take up smoking combustible tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars, and hookahs, a US study published in JAMA has found.1

E-cigarettes are battery powered devices that deliver nicotine in an aerosol that can be inhaled. Manufacturers and some public health researchers argue that the devices offer a healthier alternative to smoking and can help current smokers reduce or stop their tobacco use. But others worry that the e-cigarettes, which are typically marketed to teens and young adults and flavoured to make them more appealing to young people, will addict young people to nicotine and lead them to take up smoking.

In the study Adam M Leventhal, of Keck School of Medicine at the University of …