A study suggests more young people would take up smoking if vaporizers were banned or raised in price as a result of taxes.
The researchers found that young people view smoking and vaping as “interchangeable,” but are “much more” aware of the potential harms of vaping than the dangers of smoking.
Many respondents also believed they could circumvent a proposed ban on disposable vaporizers by stockpiling or purchasing them illegally.
Lead researcher Caitlin Notley, Professor of Addiction Sciences at the University of East Anglia, said: “The use of disposable vapes among young people has increased in recent years in the UK.
‘Despite this increase, until now little was known about the motivations behind this trend and the experiences of young people using these products.
More young people would start smoking if vaporizers were banned or raised in price as a result of taxes, new study suggests
Young people consider smoking and vaping “interchangeable,” but are “much more” aware of the potential harms of vaping than the dangers of smoking, researchers found
“This study aimed to explore these aspects and provide valuable information on the factors influencing youth vaping behavior.”
The study recruited 29 people between the ages of 16 and 20 and used a variety of methods to probe their motivations, experiences and perceptions of using disposable vaporizers.
This included individual interviews with researchers; recorded conversations in pairs of friends using cue cards without the presence of a researcher; and small group interviews designed to support those with special educational needs.
The Conservatives and Labor have promised to restrict the marketing of vapes to children and raise the age at which people can buy tobacco.
A recent survey of 2,587 children aged 11 to 17 by the campaign group Action on Smoking and Health found that 7.6 per cent currently vape.
This is the same proportion as last year, but up from 2.8 percent in 2017 and 0.8 percent in 2013.
Vaping regularly among this age group, meaning more than once a week, is now more common (4.5 percent) than using vaporizers less than once a week (3.1 percent).
Teachers have told how pupils are having to leave classes to vape after becoming addicted to nicotine and experts say vaping companies are hooking young people with bright colors and fruity flavours.
Study participants highlighted key features of disposable vaporizers that appealed to them, such as affordability, ease of access, and attractive designs, colors, names, and flavors.
Many said they practiced both vaping and smoking, and considered these behaviors to be interchangeable depending on the context.
The Conservatives and Labor have promised to restrict the marketing of vapes to children and raise the age at which people can buy tobacco.
But the researchers found there was a “common misconception” about the relative harms of vaping compared to smoking.
Experimentation with vaporizers was common, and many young people said they used them to “manage stress and anxiety.”
Vaping was also identified as a social activity, widely accepted among peer groups.
Co-author Dr Ian Pope, also from UEA and an emergency doctor, said: “Disposable vapes are particularly attractive and accessible to young people in the UK, contributing to the normalization of vaping within this demographic. “.
‘Despite recognizing the potential health risks, young people continue to vape and smoke, often interchangeably.
“The widespread availability of vape sales to minors and the availability of illicit vapes further exacerbates this problem.”
Researchers say the study suggests that youth use of disposable vaporizers could be reduced by stricter enforcement of the sales age and by restricting packaging and marketing.
However, they also say that evidence suggests that these types of interventions have the potential to have “significant unintended consequences,” including increased use of illicit vaporizers “and, more worryingly,” increased tobacco use among youths.
Professor Notley said: “Any intervention to combat the use of disposable products may need to be accompanied by policy interventions to reduce access to illicit e-cigarettes and tobacco and increase awareness of the relative harms of tobacco compared to e-cigarettes. “.
The research, published in the journal Addiction, was carried out in partnership with Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and London South Bank University, and was funded through the National Institute of Health and Care Research.
