High-Nicotine E-Cigarettes Linked to Rising Nicotine Dependence Among Young Adults
A national study links high-nicotine e-cigarette use among young adults to rising nicotine dependence and persistent vaping.Summary
A new study from University of California San Diego researchers found that high-nicotine e-cigarette use rose sharply among young adults between 2017 and 2022, coinciding with a substantial increase in nicotine dependence. Among daily vapers ages 18 to 24, use of products containing at least 4% nicotine rose from 3.1% in 2017 to 49.2% in 2022, compared with just 4.5% among daily vapers ages 55 and older. The odds of using a high-nicotine e-cigarette were 12 times higher for 18- to 24-year-olds than for adults 55 and older. By 2022, nicotine dependence among young adults who exclusively vaped had risen to a level comparable to that of young adults who exclusively smoked in 2017. Among people who vaped in 2019, those using high-nicotine e-cigarettes had 31% lower odds of being abstinent four years later. Young adults were more likely than older adults to choose high-nicotine versions within the same brands, raising questions about marketing and regulation. The researchers say the findings warrant an urgent reassessment of whether FDA authorization of these products remains justified, given the risk of creating nicotine dependence among young people who do not smoke.
(Source：UC San Diego Today)
