Vaping can cause illnesses, but most young users feel safe doing it, study says
Most young people who vape feel safe doing so, despite an outbreak of illnesses, a study found.
The study, done by health data management firm Harmony Healthcare IT, surveyed 1,800 Americans between the ages of 18 and 38 who use vape products and found that the vast majority feel safe using them despite knowing they’re unhealthy.
As of Feb. 4, there were 2,758 cases of hospitalization or death due to vaping-related lung injuries in the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The majority of those cases have been among people under age 34, the CDC says.
Additionally, there have been 64 confirmed deaths across 28 states and the District of Columbia, the CDC says.
Despite this outbreak, 79 percent of young vape users surveyed said they feel safe using vaping products, the study says. But 71 percent say they believe doing so is unhealthy.
The most common reason those surveyed reported that they started vaping was to stop smoking cigarettes.
Of those surveyed, 77 percent said they think vaping is healthier than smoking cigarettes, and 39 percent said they think it’s healthier than smoking marijuana.
Another 60 percent said they think vaping is healthier than drinking alcohol.
Twenty-four percent said they started vaping because they felt pressured by their friends and 21 percent said they started to relax or reduce their anxiety, the study found.
The study also found that young people spend a lot of money on vaping products.
Forty-one percent said they use nicotine vaping products while 30 percent said they use cannabis products and 27 percent said they use both, the study says.
Those who use nicotine vaping products reported spending $55 a month on them, while those who use cannabis products reported spending $97 a month, they study found.
The study examined what would get those surveyed to quit vaping.
Only 56 percent said they are thinking about quitting due to recent illnesses, the study found, and 31 percent said they aren’t sure when they plan to quit.
If vape pens were banned, half said they would still find a way to buy them, and 36 percent said they would still vape even if someone they knew became sick from it.
The study also found that most people surveyed didn’t know how many people have gotten sick from vaping.
More research and education on vaping are needed, the study says.
“Until more research is conducted around vaping and vaping-related illnesses, it seems that a combination of prevention and education are currently the best tools to help curb these illnesses and injuries,” it said.
This story was originally published February 12, 2020 at 12:07 PM with the headline "Vaping can cause illnesses, but most young users feel safe doing it, study says."
