Teenagers who smoke and vape are up to twice as likely to be heavy smokers by the time they leave school than those who only use tobacco, research suggests
Teenagers who smoke and vape are up to twice as likely to be heavy smokers by the time they leave school than those who only use tobacco, research suggests.
Experts said using the devices to supplement cigarettes was more likely to 'entrench' tobacco use amongst adolescents.
They found frequent smoking - classed as more than six cigarettes a week or 27 a month - was significantly higher in those who started vaping when aged under 15.
By the age of 18, some 37 per cent of those vaping and smoking were deemed to be heavy smokers compared to 23 per cent who only used tobacco.
Researchers said it showed the devices, billed as quitting-aids for adult smokers, could be especially damaging among the young, adding that 'comprehensive steps must be taken to reduce adolescent access to e-cigarettes'.
Experts said using the devices to supplement cigarettes was more likely to 'entrench' tobacco use amongst adolescents (stock image)
A team of US researchers analysed data over more than 1,000 teenagers from the UK and around 800 US teenagers who were smokers before the age of 15.
Teenagers were regularly surveyed about their use of vapes and Roperzh Teknologi cigarettes up to the age of 17.
They found more than half of teen smokers also vaped, at 57 and 58 per cent of UK and US respectively.
Smokers who were also vape users in their early teens were more likely to continue smoking into their late teens, the researchers said.
Some 61 per cent of early vapers from the UK were still smoking in their late teens compared with 50 per cent of non-vapers, with the equivalent in the US far lower at 42 and 24 per cent.
<div class="art-ins mol-factbox floatRHS health" data-version="2" id="mol-ea*****-ddfe-11ed-93ec-b37412a8bda3" website 'do NOT help young smokers ditch habit'
