The number of young people between 18 and 24 years old who vape has tripled in two years, driven by the emergence of disposable devices, according to a study.
Researchers at University College London examined vaping and smoking data from 132,252 people in England from 2016 to May last year.
They found that while smoking continues to decline across all ages, vaping was increasing, particularly among those under 25, where the proportion who said they vaped rose from 9 percent in May 2021 to 29 percent in May 2023.
This meant that overall nicotine use increased from 28 percent to 35 percent, which is attributed to the popularity of disposable vaporizers.
Dr Ian Walker, executive director of policy at Cancer Research UK, which funded the study, said: “This shows a worrying increase in the number of young adults using vapes since disposables hit the market in the UK.”
Researchers at University College London have found that the number of 18- to 24-year-olds who vape has tripled in two years, driven by the emergence of disposable devices (file image)
Vaping can expose teens to toxic metals that could damage the brain and other vital organs, and the risk is even greater in the sweet flavors of e-cigarettes.
The growing number of people vaping coincides with another study that suggests it can expose teenagers to toxic metals that could damage the brain and other vital organs.
The risk could be even greater in the sweet flavors of electronic cigarettes, which are often preferred by young people.
Experts said the findings underscore the need for stricter regulations and prevention efforts to stop the targeting of teenagers.
The analysis involved 200 American adolescents, ages 13 to 17, who were categorized as frequent, intermittent, or occasional vapers.
Usage was determined by the average number of puffs per day, which ranged from 27 puffs, 7.9, and 0.9 puffs, respectively.
Biomarkers in the urine were then evaluated for the presence of metals such as lead, uranium and cadmium.
Both frequent and intermittent e-cigarette users had higher levels of lead in their urine than those who vaped occasionally, the study found.
Frequent vapers also had higher levels of uranium in their urine compared to occasional users.
Different vape flavors affected uranium levels, according to findings published in Tobacco Control.
Experts said the findings underscore the need for stricter regulations and prevention efforts to stop the targeting of teenagers (file photo)
One-third of vapers preferred menthol or mint flavors, while 49.8 percent used fruit-flavored vapes and 15.3 percent used sweet-flavored vapes.
According to the researchers, those who used sweet-tasting vapes had higher levels of uranium compared to those who preferred menthol or mint.
The researchers acknowledged limitations of the study, including the fact that the presence of uranium in urine could be due to environmental exposure or dietary intake.
However, they said: ‘Despite limitations, this study reported increased urinary lead and uranium levels associated with vaping frequency.
‘Sweet flavors could pose an additional risk of uranium exposure.
‘E-cigarette use during adolescence may increase the likelihood of exposure to the metal, which could negatively affect brain and organ development.
“These findings call for further research, regulation of vaping, and targeted public health interventions to mitigate the potential harms of e-cigarette use, particularly among adolescents.”
Professor Lion Shahab, co-director of the UCL Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group, said: “This is a well-conducted study which underlines the need to carefully monitor exposure in e-cigarette users and highlights the fact that e-cigarettes electronic devices are not risk-free. , and therefore should not be used by people who have never smoked, especially teenagers.’
However, he said the findings need to be seen in context, including the fact that uranium exposure can come from several sources.
A control group of teens who did not vape was also not included in the analysis, he said.
Professor Shahab added: “Therefore, this study cannot tell us anything about the absolute increase in heavy metal exposure from e-cigarette use in this population, only about the relative exposure between less and more frequent users of e-cigarettes. electronic cigarettes”.
“Since exposure to heavy metals depends mainly on the type of device used, future studies should investigate whether there are significant differences between different types of e-cigarettes to inform regulators to reduce the use of devices that expose users to to more heavy metals.
“The relatively small sample size of this study prevented this topic from being investigated.”
A report published by Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) last June found that 20.5 per cent of children in the UK had tried vaping in 2023, up from 15.8 per cent in 2022 and 13. 9 percent in 2020.
The government’s Tobacco and Vaping Bill, announced in October, aims to create a smoke-free generation by banning the sale of tobacco to people born on or after January 1, 2009.
It will also crack down on vaping in a bid to reduce its appeal to children and young people.
Proposals include potentially restricting how vaporizers are displayed in stores, as well as restrictions on flavors and packaging.