E-cigarette use is associated with more cigarette smoking among youth

E-cigarettes have been touted an avenue for combustible cigarette smokers looking to quit, but a new study finds that among youth, these devices may be more associated with cigarette use. Looking at survey data collected in California between 2015-2017, researchers found that compared to those who reported never having used e-cigarettes, those who used these devices were also more likely to say during a follow-up survey that they had smoked combustible cigarettes in the month prior to being surveyed. Among those who vaped, those who used modifiable e-cigarettes (known as mods and which produce stronger vapor than pens) reported smoking more than six times as many combustible cigarettes than those who used vape pens. More research is needed to figure out if there's a causal relationship between vape use and cigarette smoking, the authors write.