The Reasons Teens Vape

The University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research’s Megan Patrick acted as lead author on the paper. She said: “Vaping has become the primary way that adolescents use nicotine. Understanding why adolescents vape is important for figuring out how to reduce and prevent nicotine use among teenagers.”

Patrick did not explain why something with all the harm of a cup of coffee should cause such consternation.

The paper states that, of the 5,082 respondents, the data showed relaxation was the most common reason cited, no matter the grade or frequency of vaping. Boredom landed in the top three reasons across frequency groups as well. 

“Among 12th graders who reported vaping near-daily, a third said they vaped to feel good or because it is more convenient than cigarettes. Less than 10% of that same group said vaping helped them quit smoking cigarettes. 

“Near-daily vaping in the past 30 days was reported by 1.7% of eighth graders, 4.2% of 10th graders and 7.8% of 12th graders. "Relaxation" emerged as the top reason for vaping, cited by nearly half of adolescents who vaped in the past year and over 70% of near-daily vapers. 

“The study stresses the importance of understanding the diverse reasons behind teen vaping, particularly the significant role of stress relief. Given that a large proportion of near-daily vapers use vaping to relax, incorporating mental health support into prevention programs is crucial,” the authors say.

Given that the danger posed is a fraction of, say, alcohol use, it remains unclear why the researchers are so bothered about nicotine.

“Our findings illustrate a shift over the past decade in the reasons adolescents vape, moving from experimentation to stress relief and relaxation, highlighting key areas for intervention," Patrick continued. 

Other frequently mentioned reasons include "experimentation" and "boredom," with "taste" also ranking high. Among near-daily vapers, significant numbers noted they vaped to "feel good" or because it is "more convenient than cigarettes," with a smaller percentage aiming to "help quit cigarettes."

Continuing the concern, Patrick carried on by adding: “Among the adolescents who vape near-daily, 43% report that they vape because they are hooked or have to have it. The fact that so many adolescents feel addicted to nicotine is concerning. Another reason, reported by almost 1 in 5 near-daily vapers, was to manage their weight. Additional research is needed on this, but parents and health care professionals should be aware that many adolescents are vaping to try to lose weight or control their weight.”

Megan Patrick did not comment on the fact that teens used to do this by smoking, therefore they are now reducing their risk by ‘at least 95%’.

The authors of the study argue that screening for stress and anxiety should be conducted alongside nicotine screenings to provide early intervention. These experts also noted a shift in why adolescents are vaping, as 2015 data listed relaxation as only the fifth most common reason. 

The authors did not justify this level of personal intrusion.

They did argue for further research to be conducted “to understand those adolescents vaping for weight management—reported by nearly a fifth of 12th graders who vaped near-daily.” Maybe they could Google teenager smoking for weight loss? 

Photo Credit:

• Photo by Brad Switzer on Unsplash

Dave Cross

Journalist at POTV

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Dave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.