Canada releases health report on youth vaping. E-cigarettes are more prevalent among young people than among older Canadians, the report found. While e-cigarettes are less harmful than combustible tobacco, they are not without health risks.

What is already known on this topic?

While vaping may be less harmful than inhaling regular tobacco smoke, it is not without health risks and is considered safe for individuals who are not yet consumers of tobacco products.

E-cigarette use has been rising since e-cigarettes were introduced to North America, often higher among teens, raising concerns about nicotine dependence and the impact on tobacco smoking rates.

Little is known about the influence of peers (friends) and parents on the risk of vaping in adolescents because surveillance surveys often do not include this information.

What does this study add?

Few nationally representative Canadian studies of vaping include adolescents as young as 12.

E-cigarette use among 15- to 17-year-olds was almost four times higher (21.3%) than among 12- to 14-year-olds (5.4%). Among 15- to 17-year-olds, 5.3% have vaped and used tobacco products.

About nine in 10 (89.3%) of 15- to 19-year-olds who reported using e-cigarettes in the past 30 days reported using nicotine-containing e-liquids; comparable to estimates for older Canadians.

Having friends who engage in negative behaviors, are employed, and drink alcohol increases the odds of vaping among younger (12-14) and older (15-17) teens.

In addition, 12- to 14-year-olds with ADHD had an increased risk of vaping, while those who reported that their parents generally knew who they were with and those who reported higher correlation scores had an increased risk lower. Male gender, Canadian birth, lower grades, and use of tobacco or marijuana were other risk factors for e-cigarette use among older teens.