The health crisis precipitated by vaping bloomed in 2019. A new study in JAMA Pediatrics looked at how e-cigarette use, and specifically JUUL-brand use, changed trends.
The health crisis precipitated by vaping bloomed in 2019, with 2668 hospitalizations as a result of e-cigarette product use-associated lung injury and 60 deaths reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A new study in JAMA Pediatrics looked at how e-cigarette use, and specifically JUUL-brand use, changed trends.1
Data came from 2 longitudinal samples of adolescents and adults aged younger than 35 years from the Truth Longitudinal Cohort: wave 7 (N=14,379), collected from February 2018 to May 2018, and wave 8 (N=12,114), collected from February 2019 to May 2019. Each study participant was asked about his/her use of e-cigarettes, combustible tobacco products, and JUUL. Participants also were asked about household smoking status, friends’ e-cigarette use, sensation seeking, and harm perceptions, as well as general demographic information.
JUUL fueling e-cigarette epidemic in teens
The researchers found that between wave 7 and wave 8, the use of JUUL statistically significantly increased, both among ever users (6.0% [n=1105] to 13.5% [n=2111]; P<.001) as well as current users (3.3% [680] to 6.1% [993]; P<.001). Use of JUUL also increased in every age group and was highest among teenagers and young adults aged 18 to 20 years (23.9% [491] ever users and 12.8% [340] current users). Use also was very high in young adults aged 21 to 24 years (18.1% [360] ever users and 8.2% [207] current users). Wave 8 users also reported a higher prevalence of frequent use than wave 7 users (37.6% vs 26.1%; P<.01).
Researchers found that younger age, combustible tobacco use, lower harm perceptions, sensation seeking, and friends’ e-cigarette use were factors linked to future JUUL use among participants who were e-cigarette naïve.
The study concluded that JUUL has played a key role in the e-cigarette epidemic. Additionally, it pointed out the need for increased regulation of e-cigarettes across all levels of government.
Comparison of teen- and parent-reported estimates of social and emotional support, 2021 to 2022
July 23rd 2024The investigative team noted that teenagers with emotional and social support are better off to handle stressors such as biological and social transition, and are less likely to experience a variety of adverse physical and mental health outcomes.