E-cigarette Use and Health Risks Among Italian Adolescents

In a recent publication in the Journal of Pediatrics, the Environment and Health Committee of the Italian Pediatric Society revealed that the usage rate of e-cigarettes has increased from 18% in 2018 to 20% in 2022. The study also highlighted a decrease in the proportion of male users to 18%, while the proportion of female users has risen to 21%. Additionally, the research found that 14% of adolescent smokers are engaged in the consumption of heated tobacco products.

This committee's editing team is led by Antonio Corsello and includes Laura Venditto from the IRCCS Ca' Granda Foundation Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, and the Department of Surgery, Dental and Maternal-Infant Sciences at the University of Verona.

The article highlights that e-cigarettes have rapidly gained popularity among Italian teenagers since their first market debut in 2006. However, this has raised concerns about health risks, including increased nicotine addiction risk and long-term risks associated with respiratory diseases.

During the 2021-2022 academic year, the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) conducted its fourth data collection. The survey investigated students aged 13-15 in Italian schools, with over 2000 questionnaires collected. Despite a decline in the proportion of adolescents primarily smoking alone from 21% to 16% in 2022, there has been an increase in the use of e-cigarettes. Furthermore, the data reveals a reversal in gender trends, with females now taking the lead.

In fact, the usage rate of e-cigarettes has increased from 18% in 2018 to 20% in 2022, with a decrease in male users from 22% to 18% and an increase in female users from 13% to 21%. The survey from 2022 also reveals that currently, 14% of teenagers who smoke use heated tobacco products (12% among males and 16% among females).

In addition, the article also mentions environmental and health risks, including an increase in respiratory symptoms associated with the use of e-cigarettes, as well as burns caused by accidental ingestion of e-cigarette liquids or explosions.

Although the long-term health effects of e-cigarettes are still being investigated, the Italian Pediatric Society is calling for stronger regulations to communicate the health risks associated with these products to young people, doctors, and families. This may include implementing age restrictions on sales and warning labels on e-cigarette products, as well as standardizing their marketing practices.