Young people ‘more likely to smoke after trying e-cigarettes’

Young people who have tried an e-cigarette may be more likely to go on to smoke cigarettes, according to new research.

The University of Stirling study surveyed pupils at four Scottish secondary schools aged between 11 and 18 years old, who were interviewed in February and March 2015 and then again 12 months later.

Results from the initial 2015 survey found that among 2,125 students who had never smoked, 183 had tried an e-cigarette. Among these, 40.4 percent went on to smoke a cigarette in the following 12 months, compared to only 12.8 percent of young people who had not tried an e-cigarette.

The effect remained significant even after adjusting for other factors that influence smoking uptake, including smoking susceptibility, having friends or family members who smoke, age, sex, family affluence, ethnic group and school.

It was also found that e-cigarette use had a greater impact on the odds of cigarette experimentation in those with a firm intention not to smoke, or whose friends did not smoke – a group traditionally seen as least likely to take up smoking.

Dr Catherine Best, research fellow at the University of Stirling, said: "Our findings are broadly similar to those from eight other US studies; however, this is the first study to report from the UK."

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