TEEN vapers are more likely to grow up to be heavy smokers, a study shows.
Brits who used both cigs and and e-cigs before age 15 were nearly twice as likely to smoke six or more fags a week by age 17, compared to those who just puffed tobacco.
GettyTeens who vape and smoke cigarettes are more likely to be heavier smokers in later years, a study shows[/caption]
Vapes made them more dependent on nicotine and increased cravings, researchers said.
Ministers this month launched a push to crack down on underage vaping.
Professor Brian Kelly, of Purdue University in Indiana, said: “E-cigarettes entrenched teens who smoked early into later patterns of continued and more frequent tobacco use.
“Comprehensive steps must be taken to reduce adolescent access to e-cigarettes, particularly to reduce entrenchment among youth who initiate smoking early.”
Research suggests seven per cent of Brits aged 15 to 24 vape regularly — the highest of comparable countries.
Worryingly, the proportion is around the same for 11 to 17 year-olds.
Research suggests e-cigarettes are significantly healthier than traditional cigarettes, with the NHS recommending people use them to help them cut down on smoking.
But data on the long-term use of vapes and the impact on the body is sparse, and countless studies have shown vaping is not without risk.
The latest study, published in Tobacco Control, looked at how vaping at young ages affects teens’ likelihood to keep smoking.
Researchers tracked smoking and vaping habits in 1,090 children aged up to 15 in the UK and 803 in the US to see how it affected continued use.
Some 37 per cent of early teens who smoked and vaped smoked at least six cigarettes a week before the age of 18.
In contrast, the figure was 23 per cent in those who only smoked cigarettes in their early teens.
Professor Kelly said: “A great deal of attention has centred on restricting e-cigarettes so that they do not serve as a pathway into tobacco initiation among youth.
“Our results highlight that considering their impacts on youth who initiate smoking at an early age remains important as well.”
Professor Lion Shahab, of University College London, said: “This useful study highlights the need to strengthen regulation to stop access to cigarettes and e-cigarettes in youth.”