A surprising number of B.C. youth aged 12 to 18 have tried vaping
A significant number of B.C. youth aged 12 to 18 have vaped, according to a new study.
The McCreary Centre Society released a report looking at nicotine use among B.C. youth, revealing that one quarter of them had vaped.
McCreary used data from the 2023 BC Adolescent Health Survey (AHS), which surveyed over 38,000 youth in Grades 7 to 12 (aged 12 to 18) in 2023.
In B.C, it is illegal for anyone under the age of 19 to buy vaping products.
Out of those who had vaped, most of them continued to vape regularly, and most who had vaped in the past month had been vaping for two years. Further, one in five had needed help with their vaping.
Annie Smith, the report co-author and executive director of McCreary, said another surprising finding was the transition from vaping to smoking.
“We also saw that youth who had vaped and smoked were more likely to have vaped before they smoked than they were to have smoked first. So, I think this tells us that while there has justifiably been a lot of attention paid to youth vaping in and of itself, we should not forget that vaping might also potentially lead to other forms of nicotine use,” she said in a statement.
What are the health effects of vapes?
While vapes were originally designed to help smokers reduce health risks and eventually quit tobacco, they have now “turned into a public health nightmare,” according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.
Nicotine, a highly addictive substance, can affect adolescent brain development in the areas of the brain that control learning, attention, mood, and impulse control. It can also increase the future risk of addiction to other drugs.
In Canada, almost half of the people who vape are youth or young adults, due to an in
While experts say it will be two to three decades before the full health effects of vaping are understood, the short-term effects are damage to blood vessel function, and elevated blood pressure and heart rate.
Further, vapes are associated with inflammation, oxidative stress, and hemodynamic imbalance — all precursors of cardiovascular risk. They can also increase the risk of infections, weaken people’s immune systems, and cause oral health issues and respiratory problems.
Why are people vaping?
Smith said that many youth end up vaping as a method to deal with trauma they’ve experienced.
“We see much higher rates of nicotine use among youth who have experienced challenges such as abuse, bereavement, and food insecurity. This tells us that we need to support young people and equip them with other, healthier ways to manage the stress and trauma in their lives so that they don’t turn to substances to help them cope.”
The McCreary report suggested that instead of a “punitive or judgmental approach,” a trauma-informed and supportive approach would be more helpful.
The “protective factors” that were associated with reduced likelihood of youth vaping included having access to health services when youth require them; having supportive adults in family, school, and community; having positive plans for their future; and having access to meaningful extracurricular activities.