Depression and anxiety symptoms linked to vaping in teens and young adults

The use of pod-based e-cigarettes has surged among youth and young adults in recent years. A YouGov survey in July 2022 showed that vaping among children 11-17 is up from four per cent in 2020 to seven per cent in 2022. The data also revealed that the proportion of children who admit ever having tried vaping has also risen from 14 per cent in 2020 to 16 per cent in 2022.

Joy Hart, a professor of communication at the University of Louisville in Kentucky and the studies author said, “Younger people have long been vulnerable to tobacco use, may experience greater harm from nicotine and other drugs and may be targeted by tobacco advertisers and marketers,” “E-cigarette devices are still relatively new compared to other tobacco products, such as combustible cigarettes and pipes, so more research is needed to try to better understand the popularity of e-cigarettes, including reasons for vaping and the associated health risks among youth.”