A recent study has found that teenagers whose parents smoke are 55% more likely to try smoking or vaping than those with non-smoking parents.
According to scientific news source EureKalert, on 3rd of December (local time), a team of researchers from the Irish Thoracic Research Institute (TFRI) in Dublin announced at the international conference of the European Respiratory Society held in Barcelona, Spain, that the use of traditional cigarettes among Irish teenagers has decreased, while the use of e-cigarettes has significantly increased, particularly among girls, according to their large-scale study.
Researchers have emphasized the risks associated with nicotine addiction and are calling for more effective regulation to protect children and teens. The study surveyed 6,216 teenagers aged 17-18 on smoking and e-cigarette use. The findings revealed that teens with smoking parents are about 51% more likely to smoke and about 55% more likely to use e-cigarettes. E-cigarette use has significantly increased, particularly among female students. Additionally, the percentage of e-cigarette users has risen from 23% in 2014 to 39% in 2019. The main reasons teens try e-cigarettes are curiosity (66%) and influence from friends who use them (29%). Only 3% of respondents stated that they wanted to quit smoking. The percentage of respondents who had never tried e-cigarettes increased from 32% in 2015 to 68% in 2019.
According to Luke Clancy, the Secretary General of the Tobacco Free Research Institute (TFRI), the use of e-cigarettes among Irish youth has increased, in line with trends seen globally. Although e-cigarettes are believed to be a better alternative to smoking, the TFRI's research indicates that they are not suitable for adolescents who have not previously tried conventional cigarettes. Clancy warns that e-cigarettes can lead to nicotine addiction and damage to the lungs, blood vessels and brain, especially among children and teenagers. The European Respiratory Society's Tobacco Control Committee Chairman, Jonathan Grigg, who did not participate in the study, agrees that more measures must be taken to protect young people from these risks. The study examined data from 3,421 16-year-old children, looking for any differences between boys and girls. While boys were more likely to try or use e-cigarettes, researchers found that the proportion of girls who tried them increased more quickly. Among girls, the proportion who tried e-cigarettes increased sharply from 23% in 2015 to 39% in 2019. Among all respondents, the proportion who reported using e-cigarettes increased from 10% in 2015 to 18% in 2019. The researchers found that having smoking friends and less parental supervision were the main factors behind adolescents using e-cigarettes.
A study has found that electronic cigarettes, intended as a substitute for tobacco smoking, can actually encourage smoking, and their usage is on the rise, especially among teenage girls. "We can see that parents and friends influence the decision of young people to try electronic cigarettes," said Dr. Salome Sunday, who testified before Congress. "This is an important factor in trying to make a change." Indeed, "We can see the number of young people using electronic cigarettes is rapidly changing, so we need to closely monitor the situation in Ireland and around the world," said Dr. Joan Hanafin, the lead researcher and co-author of the paper. "We also plan to study social media to see how electronic cigarette behavior among girls and boys affects actual smoking," she said.
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