Study Shows Canadian Teens with Disposable Income More Likely to Take up Vaping
According to a recent study from the University of Waterloo, teens with disposable income are more likely to purchase e-cigarettes.
Researchers analyzed responses from 46,000 teenagers in 167 schools nationwide and discovered that e-cigarettes are attracting new adolescent groups previously not associated with high-risk traditional cigarette use, stated Dr. Kate Battista, a postdoctoral scholar in the School of Public Health Sciences at Waterloo.
The study examined the frequency of e-cigarette and cigarette usage among teens, considering factors like age, gender, race, family income, disposable income, and even ownership of a personal room.
“We were expecting to identify specific high-risk groups, but instead, we found that almost all demographic groups with sufficient spending money were susceptible to vaping,” said Battista.
Teens mentioned using funds from allowances, part-time jobs, or occasional gigs like babysitting, as per Battista.
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Battista emphasized the significance for policymakers, public-health authorities, and schools to grasp the risk, and the study’s outcomes will aid in creating targeted intervention strategies for those in need.
“Adolescence is a critical period for forming substance-use behaviors, and teenagers who initiate e-cigarettes and cigarettes now are more vulnerable to dependency and health repercussions later in life,” Battista noted.
The authors utilized data from the COMPASS survey of Canadian high school students and their health behaviors.
Although spending money stands out as the primary risk factor, family income and gender diversity also play crucial roles, with gender diverse students exhibiting the highest tendency for dual vaping and smoking.
Various Canadian studies have investigated the prevalence of smoking and vaping among teenagers. According to the Canadian Community Health Survey, 12 percent of Canadians aged 15 and above reported smoking cigarettes in 2022. The survey also revealed that 14 percent of men and 10 percent of women aged 15 and above smoke cigarettes, with 11 percent of males and 8 percent of females reporting daily smoking habits.
Information from the Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey (CTNS) in 2021 indicated consistent vaping rates since 2019. According to the survey, 13 percent of individuals aged 15 to 19 admitted to vaping in the past 30 days, and 61 percent of these individuals had never smoked traditional tobacco cigarettes, as per the Government of Canada.
When questioned about their vaping habits, 33 percent said it helped alleviate stress, a rise from 21 percent in 2019. Other reasons included enjoyment (28 percent) and curiosity (24 percent).
Approximately half of the teens surveyed by the CTNS shared that they acquired vaping devices (55 percent) and liquids (50 percent) from friends or family rather than purchasing them.
