Anti-smoking groups will look behind the vapour clouds to see what’s going on with youth and vaping.
The Lung Association of Nova Scotia and Smoke-Free Nova Scotia will launch a provincewide youth and young adult survey in July. It aims to understand the factors that drive vaping behaviour and the patterns of use such as the choice of flavours and nicotine content.
“We have previously raised concerns over the potential of vaping to cross-normalize smoking,” said Mohammed Alhamdani, director of health initiatives for the N.S. Lung Association. “We have had anecdotal evidence in the past to suggest that vaping is related with increased smoking.”
Alhamdani said a University of Waterloo study recently validated those concerns. David Hammond’s study found vaping rates increased by 74 per cent among Canadian 16- to 19-year-olds in 2018 compared to the previous year, “which is very disturbing,” Alhamdani said.
The study also found a concurrent increase of 45 per cent in smoking rates among the same age group, he said.
“Through this survey, we will be able to get valuable local information to help guide action in Nova Scotia. We will also continue to play an active leadership role in advocating for policies aimed at reducing youth vaping and smoking.”
