Is vaping the gateway to smoking?
February 13, 2025 by news-medical.net
Is vaping the gateway to smoking?
A systematic review finds weak evidence for e-cigarettes as a gateway to smoking in young people, emphasizing the need for more robust research for policy guidance. Despite the popularity of e-cigarettes since 2004, the link between vaping and subsequent smoking among individuals under 29 lacks strong evidence. Available studies were impacted by bias, with conflicting findings on the relationship between vaping and smoking initiation. Population-level data suggested higher vaping rates but lower subsequent smoking rates among young people. The study concludes that the evidence for vaping leading to smoking is uncertain, stressing the importance of further research for informed public health policies and regulations.
