Florida Atlantic: Troubling Trends

With their allure as a safer alternative to traditional cigarette smoking, a troubling trend in electronic vapor products (EVPs) use has emerged. Findings of a new study show alarming increases in the daily use of EVPs, also known as e-cigarettes or vaping devices, in U.S. adolescents.

Researchers at Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine analyzed data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey for ninth through 12th grades among 57,006 subjects from 2015 (earliest available data) to 2021 (most recently available data) from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Results of the study, published in the Ochsner Journal, show that daily use of EVPs increased from 2% in 2015 to 7.2% in 2019, an increase of more than threefold. Although the percentage decreased to 5% in 2021, it was still more than a two-andone- half increase since 2015. The researchers speculate that the effects of COVID-19, which included lockdowns and remote schooling, may have contributed to the decrease in 2021 but cautioned that further research is warranted.

EVPs contain many substances beyond nicotine, including propylene glycol, glycerin, flavorings and potentially harmful chemicals such as formaldehyde and metals, which could pose significant health risks such as respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Vaping also is strongly linked with a serious medical condition that damages the lungs due to the vitamin E acetate, an additive used in tetrahydrocannabinol-containing e-cigarettes.

“Almost 100% of e-cigarettes sold in the U.S. contain nicotine, and the use of these products by adolescents may lead to future abuse of and addiction to additional substances,” said Panagiota “Yiota” Kitsantas, Ph.D., senior author and professor and chair of the Department of Population Health and Social Medicine in the Schmidt College of Medicine. “EVP use is not a safer alternative to smoking but may have contributed to the decline in regular tobacco product use. EVP use also raises concerns about new health risks, including nicotine addiction.”