Vaping Linked To Marijuana Use In Young People

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Bella Breakdown

As the popularity of vaping continues to rise, researchers are learning more and more about the negative side of it. Like how young people who vape are more likely to use marijuana, according to a study published Monday.

It’s these findings, researchers say, support the theory that nicotine rewires the developing brain, changing how people respond to and crave addictive substances. “Adolescents have a brain that’s still changing and developing,” said Dr. Nicholas Chadi, the lead author on the study.

When a young brain is exposed to an addictive substance such as nicotine, it “tends to be sensitized to other substances; it tends to seek a thrilling, rewarding sensation,” said Chadi. “And so other substances like marijuana become more appealing.”

The research analyzed more than 20 pre-existing studies of people ages 10 to 24 and found that the odds of marijuana use were 3.5 times higher in people who vaped compared to those who didn’t.

That link suggests that “e-cigarettes really need to be considered in the broad category of addictive and harmful substances,” said Chadi. “We can’t think of e-cigarettes as a less-harmful alternative to cigarettes with adolescents,” he said because “just like cigarettes, e-cigarettes increase your risk of using marijuana, and marijuana, we know, has several implications and negative health consequences in adolescents.”