A study conducted by the University of Queensland (UQ) on teenagers in 44 countries concluded that the increase in tobacco taxes was associated with increased e-cigarette consumption among adolescents.
“We have found that higher tobacco taxes are associated with higher levels of youth vaping.” Lead author Dr. Gary Chang said. “This may suggest that young people in countries with high tobacco taxes may be replacing traditional cigarettes with e-cigarettes.”
the study A World Health Organization (WHO) survey between the ages of 12 and 16 conducted between 2015 and 2018 surveyed 151,960 children. The child was asked about the consumption of cigarettes and e-cigarettes.
The authors find that adolescents living in countries where more than 75% of their tobacco prices are value-added are six times more likely to smoke than children in countries where tobacco taxes are less than 25% of the total price. I observed it. Perhaps it will replace traditional cigarettes with electronic cigarettes.
The authors stated that this phenomenon could be seen as a benefit to public health if the adolescents undergoing the conversion were from a population within the “high risk” group of smoking.
Overall, the proportion of adolescents who consume e-cigarettes is relatively low, with one in twelve adolescents smoking in the last 30 days, but frequent smokers who smoke more than 10 days a month. Only 1 in 60 adolescents is considered. ..
“This result suggests that most adolescents who inhale vapors are experimenting with e-cigarettes or using them rarely rather than habitually,” read the study.
Nonetheless, the authors are concerned that the reduction in youth smoking due to increased e-cigarette intake “renormalizes nicotine use for the new generation and has a negative impact on future health.” Said it brought.
Researchers have called for strong regulations to protect the younger generation from inhaling vapors, but policies that regulate e-cigarettes vary from country to country, with some regulated as cigarettes and others as consumer products. Some are regulated. For Australia, as a medicinal product.
“We hope that this result will be used in the development and implementation of comprehensive global strategies and policies to limit the increase in e-cigarette use in low- and middle-income countries,” said Chan. ..
Previous research Co-authored by Chan, TikTok discovers that it exposes young people to videos that could strengthen their positive attitude towards vaping and the use of e-cigarettes, with little mention of their health effects. bottom.
“Given how accessible these videos are to young people, and previous studies linking exposure to vaping-related content to increased e-cigarette use, age limits on social media platforms are recommended.”