E-cigarettes ‘encourage teenagers to smoke’

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E-cigarettes may not deter teenagers from smoking, in fact they could have the opposite effect, according to new research.

Researchers at the Center for Tobacco Research and Education discovered that over a period of 12 months the number of teenagers using e-cigarettes more than doubled and those using normal cigarettes increased by almost half.

The e-cigarette gives people a nicotine hit without the toxins that are present in tobacco cigarettes. For many smokers they have been a way of giving up as they replicate smoking more effectively than nicotine patches, gum and sprays. More than a million people in the UK use them, and the smoking ban does not apply to them because e-cigarettes vaporise liquid nicotine and do not create smoke.

Some health professionals still believe they pose a health risk to those who use them due to the various vapours people inhale. Chief Executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, Dr Nigel Carter OBE, thinks the research provides a valuable insight into how these supposedly safe options are anything but.

Dr Carter said: “When the Foundation questioned more than 2,000 people about safe alternatives to smoking, more than half (57 per cent) thought e-cigarettes fell into this category. This research shows they appear to be acting as a gateway for teenagers to take up smoking.

“The results of the study certainly suggest there is plenty of room for improvement when it comes to getting young adults to kick the habit. Factors such as social economic status and peer pressure often mean teenagers will be more reluctant to listen to any health information they are given. E-cigarettes are being marketed as an attractive, appealing alternative, and I urge the Government to intervene and ensure this is stopped immediately.

“On average, smokers lose about 16 years of their life. Given the substantial investment in anti-smoking campaigns and tools over the last decade, I would have hoped for more people to realise the knock-on effect e-cigarettes could have.

“Mouth cancer, a disease caused predominantly by smoking, is on the rise. What’s more, we are seeing more and more young people develop the disease. As a result, it is important to educate teenagers on the risks they take when they start smoking.

“The Foundation's Dental Helpline also gives patients a way of finding out what damage smoking can do. Manned by trained dental nurses and oral health educators, it is open between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday on 0845 063 1188. Alternatively the team respond to enquiries from the website.

“Our advice is very simple. If you currently smoke or use e-cigarettes, give them up immediately. Encouraging people to quit these habits early could be life-saving. No Smoking Day on 12 March and National Smile Month, which takes place from 19 May to 19 June this year, are great windows of opportunity for those who need motivation to quit.”

The research analysed survey data from 17,353 middle and 22,529 high school students. In 2011, 3.1 per cent of the teenagers in the study had ever tried e-cigarettes at least once – 1.7 per cent use with cigarettes, 1.5 per cent only e-cigarettes. By 2012, 6.5 per cent of teenagers had tried e-cigarettes – 2.6 per cent use with cigarettes.