Young people with friends who vape are 15 times more likely to use e-cigarettes, and more adolescents are turning to illicit cannabis products, University of Queensland research has found.

In two separate UQ-led studies, researchers have uncovered vaping trends, including a significant increase in the number of young people who don’t know what they’re inhaling.

In one study, PhD candidate Jack Chung from UQ’s National Centre For Youth Substance Use Research examined the types of cannabis compounds that youth aged 11-18 years old were vaping between 2021 and 2023.

“We analysed how many teens were vaping 2 types of cannabis compounds, the first of which is commonly used for its psychoactive ‘high’ effects, and the 2nd is usually used for medicinal purposes,” Mr Chung said.

“We also studied the use of lab-made synthetic cannabinoids which can be more potent and deadly.

“We saw an increase in all products between 2021 and 2023, but it was concerning to see a rise in synthetic cannabinoids, where vaping doubled in young people aged between 11-15 years.

“Synthetic cannabinoids are particularly dangerous as they can lead to unpredictable health consequences and even death.

“It was also worrying to see more adolescents were unsure about the substances they were vaping – 1.8 per cent of teens in 2021 weren’t sure if they had vaped synthetic cannabinoids, increasing to 4.7 per cent in 2023.”

Mr Chung’s study analysed data from 70,773 middle and high school students in the United States, which was captured in the country’s National Youth Tobacco Surveys.

In a separate UQ-led vaping study, PhD candidate Giang Vu found peer influences were a major factor in vaping trends, while disapproval of e-cigarettes from people important to teens – such as parents – reduced the likelihood of a teen vaping by about 70 per cent.

“We analysed data from 20,800 American youth between 2015 and 2021 and found while the proportion with friends who smoked declined, having friends who vaped remained concerningly common,” Ms Vu said.

“In 2015, 31.6 per cent of young people had friends who vaped, and while this decreased to 22.3 per cent by 2021, this figure is still high.

“The outbreak of lung disease associated with vaping, and COVID-19 related disruptions to social networks and access most likely contributed to this decline.”

Associate Professor Gary Chung Kai Chan, who collaborated on both studies, said social media played a big part in vaping rates among young people.

“In many videos, vaping is portrayed as trendy and a healthier lifestyle choice when compared to cigarette smoking, but this is dangerous messaging,” Dr Chan said.

“We need more regulation on social media, along with targeted policies and campaigns to decrease vaping rates.

“Further research is also needed to help us understand the evolving trends of cannabis vaping and the physical and mental health impacts on youth.”

The first paper has been published in American Journal of Preventative Medicine.

The second paper has been published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research.

Key findings

Adolescent cannabis vaping trends:

• In 2023, it was estimated:
  • 7.4 per cent of US adolescents were vaping a cannabinoid known as THC (which is extracted from the cannabis plant and produces a psychoactive high)
  • 2.9 per cent were vaping cannabidiol known as CBD (also extracted from a cannabis plant and is more often used for medicinal purposes)
  • 1.8 per cent were vaping synthetic cannabinoids (a dangerous lab-made drug that mimics the effects of cannabis)
• Vaping of all 3 products increased between 2021 and 2023 in teenagers aged 11-18 years old.
• Vaping rates were higher among females than males.
• The number of 11-13-year-olds vaping THC and synthetic cannabinoids doubled between 2021 and 2023.
• Consistent increase in the number of teens who weren’t sure what product they had inhaled.

Trends in social norms towards cigarette smoking and e-cigarette use:

• Teens who had friends who vaped were 15 times more likely to use e-cigarettes themselves.
• Between 2015 and 2021, the probability of having friends who smoked cigarettes decreased from 26.1 per cent to 7.9 per cent.
• Meanwhile, the probability of having friends who vaped decreased from 31.6 per cent to 22.3 per cent.
• Between 2015 and 2020, perceived public disapproval increased for both cigarettes (73.3 per cent to 84.2 per cent) and vaping (55.4 per cent to 77.5 per cent).
• Disapproval of e-cigarettes from people important to teens reduced the likelihood of a teen vaping by about 70 per cent.

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