Cannabis vaping among teenagers higher than ever, especially among high school seniors
Of
According to a study by the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, vaping cannabis is becoming the most popular method of cannabis administration among all adolescents in the US, as is the frequency of vaping.
The study found that the frequency of cannabis vaping among adolescents across all demographic groups is reported six or more times per month and is increasing faster than occasional use. Those who vape and smoke nicotine are more than 40 times more likely to also vape and smoke cannabis, according to the study published in the journal Addiction.
Photo by Toan Nguyen via Unsplash
Relatively unstudied until now
Trends in vaping use have been largely unstudied, including frequency, emerging differences, and use with other substances — all important information, said Katherine Keyes, Ph.D., professor of epidemiology at the Columbia Mailman School.
“Heavy and frequent use of cannabis is increasing among youth in the United States, and vaping systems for both cannabis and nicotine products are proliferating, so understanding the prevalence and patterns of frequent vaping of cannabis is important information for the public health for prevention,” said Dr. keyes .
“Given the increasing concern about vaping cannabis over safety and the potential for progression to cannabis use disorder, particularly with frequent use, these findings point to the need for public health intervention and increased regulation.”
The study
The results are based on the annual Monitoring the Future survey, in which a population of 51,052 high school students was randomly selected and invited to participate for two years, according to Columbia’s Public Health Now.
According to Keyes, tobacco use and e-cigarette use, as well as binge drinking, are strongly associated with frequent cannabis use—both vaping and non-vaping. The evidence suggests that young adults who use nicotine, particularly through vaporizers, are more likely to later vaporize marijuana.
RELATED: Cannabis use in teens dropped dramatically, government-funded study confirms
In fact, adolescents who reported having smoked binge drinking and vaped nicotine on more than 10 occasions reported a 42-time and
Photo by Ina Lihaca/EyeEm/Getty Images
“Given that it’s easier for teens to conceal vaping than smoking cannabis, this type of cannabis use could allow for more frequent use,” Keyes said.
Prevalence increased across grade levels, with the greatest burden being among high school seniors, where prevalence nearly tripled over the past 30 days from 5 percent (2017) to 14 percent (2019). The one-year increase in this level from 2018 to 2019 (7.5 percent to 14 percent) is the second largest one-year increase in substance use prevalence ever tracked by Monitoring the Future.
RELATED: Teen vaping continues to rise and could have these long-lasting effects
“This continued prevalence of daily cannabis use, higher in 2020 than any year since 1981, is of further concern for several reasons, Keyes said. “Heavy cannabis use is associated with adverse cognitive and social outcomes in adolescents, as well as with long-term trajectories of drug use that can have adverse health and other outcomes.”
Keyes added, “As cannabis legalization progresses across US states and products, delivery systems, potency and marketing increase in a for-profit industry, increasing attention is being paid to youth trends, including investment in sustainable and evidence-based prevention and intervention.”
This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been republished with permission.
Post a comment: