According to a new meta-analysis published in the journal Tobacco Prevention & Cessation, adolescents in the UK using e-cigarettes had a nearly six-fold higher likelihood of smoking traditional cigarettes.
Researchers at the Northumbria University conducted a meta-analysis of three longitudinal studies identified through a literature search on the PubMed, Medline via ProQuest, CINAHL and SCOPUS databases.
The findings showed that non-smoking adolescents using e-cigarettes were up to six times more likely to smoke traditional cigarettes (OR, 5.55; 95% Cl, 3.94-7.82). E-cigarette users also had a significantly increased willingness to smoke in the future compared with non-users (OR, 3.21; 95% Cl, 1.66-6.23).
The authors said: "While emerging results from this review and similar studies from other countries are beginning to provide evidence regarding the association between e-cigarette and traditional cigarette use, public health policymakers in the UK still need clear conclusions about the effects and safety of e-cigarettes". They call for further long-term longitudinal studies to investigate the extent to which experimentation with e-cigarettes results in continuous use.
