Fears that using e-cigarettes leads teenagers to smoke tobacco are unfounded, a study shows
A study has shown that just three per cent of kids aged 11 to 16 vape
FEARS that vaping is a pathway to cigarettes are unfounded, a study shows.
Just three per cent of kids aged 11 to 16 vape and as few as 0.1 per cent are non-smokers.
Prof Linda Bauld, of the University of Stirling, said: “E-cig experimentation is simply not translating into regular use.”
The findings come from four public health organisations which looked at 60,000 survey responses.
Among young people who have never smoked, regular use of e-cigarettes was between 0.1% and 0.5% across the five surveys, they said.
"Recent studies have generated alarming headlines that e-cigarettes are leading to smoking. Our analysis of the latest surveys from all parts of the United Kingdom, involving thousands of teenagers shows clearly that for those teens who don't smoke, e-cig experimentation is simply not translating into regular use" said Linda Bauld, professor of health policy at the University of Stirling - which is a member of the UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies.
"Our study also shows that smoking rates in young people are continuing to decline.
"Future studies on this subject need to continue to monitor both experimentation and regular use of e-cigarettes and take into account trends in tobacco use if we are to provide the public with accurate information."
Martin Dockrell, tobacco policy manager, Public Health England, added: "The findings in this study suggest that in terms of protecting children we are broadly getting the balance right in the UK.
"We have a regulatory system that aims to protect children and young people while ensuring adult smokers have access to safer nicotine products that can help them stop smoking.
"This includes a minimum age of sale, tight restrictions on marketing, and comprehensive quality and safety requirements.
"We will continue to monitor the trends in e-cigarette use alongside those in smoking."
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Deborah Arnott, chief executive of the campaign group Action on Smoking and Health, said: "A small proportion of young people do experiment with e-cigs, but this does not appear to be leading to regular vaping or smoking in any numbers, indeed smoking rates in young people are continuing to decline."