Teen Marijuana E-cigarette Use Doubles in the US and Canada

According to a recent study published in JAMA Pediatrics, the prevalence of marijuana e-cigarette use among teenagers has doubled from 2013 to 2020. In 2018 alone, approximately one-third of 12th-grade students consumed marijuana.

A commentary has analyzed 17 studies conducted in the United States and Canada between 2015 and 2021, involving a total of 198,845 surveyed adolescents. Titled "Prevalence of adolescent marijuana and e-cigarette use: A systematic review and meta-analysis of US and Canadian studies," the analysis found that the lifetime prevalence of marijuana e-cigarette use rose from 6.1% in 2013 to 13.6% in 2020. Furthermore, between 2017 and 2020, the prevalence of marijuana e-cigarette use doubled, increasing from 7.2% to 13.2%. Additionally, from 2013 to 2020, the 30-day prevalence increased by 7 times, from 1.6% to 8.4%.

According to the author, one possible explanation for the observed increase in popularity of cannabis e-cigarette use within the time frame studied is the expansion of opportunities to acquire cannabis e-cigarette products, particularly among young people who commonly use e-cigarette products. This expansion is thought to be driven, in part, by the legalization of cannabis, which has reduced the perceived risk associated with its use over the last decade.

Smoking rates have decreased.

Meanwhile, a recent tobacco and nicotine survey in Canada showed that smoking rates for this particular age group decreased by 40% from 13.3% to 8% between 2019-2020. This figure is encouraging for Canada's Health Department's goal of a 5% smoking prevalence rate by 2035. Additionally, the 15-19 age group has already achieved this target, with current smoking rates not exceeding 5%.

In a letter to Patty Hajdu, the Minister of Health and an economics professor and medical researcher at Concordia University, Ian Irvine of the Howe Institute expressed disappointment about the media's selective coverage of vaping-related issues. Irvine stated that the media has largely overlooked important accomplishments in this field and instead has focused on the concept of vaping as a popular trend among this age group.

Irvine emphasized that although smoking rates have been decreasing due to government policies on tobacco, a true change occurred with the emergence of e-cigarette products. "By 2013, the smoking rate among the 15-19 age group had dropped to 11%, 18% among the 20-24 age group, and 16% among those 25 and older...then a disruptive technology appeared - e-cigarettes.

Source: Vaping Post.