Nictotine Backlash: E-Cigarettes Boost Risky Behaviors in Teens

A new study has revealed that the use of e-cigarettes among teenagers, both smokers and non-smokers is closely associated with drinking.

Professor of behavioral epidemiology at Liverpool John Moores University in England and author of the study Karen Hughes said, "We found that e-cigarette access is strongly related to alcohol use in teenagers."

"Those who drink are more likely to have accessed e-cigarettes than non-drinkers regardless of whether they smoke normal cigarettes or not, and those who drink frequently, binge drink, drink to get drunk, drink strong alcohol products, and show signs of unsupervised alcohol consumption are most likely to have accessed e-cigarettes," said Hughes in a news release from BMC Public Health.

As part of the study, the scientists from England surveyed more than 16,000 students between the ages of 14 and 17. It is was observed that 20 per cent of these students had at some point used e-cigarettes.

Among those who tried, 36 per cent were regular smokers, nearly 14 percent were ex-smokers, 16 percent never smoked, 12 percent only smoked while drinking and 23 percent tried smoking but didn't like the experience.

Through the study, it was observed that students who drank were more likely to use e-cigarettes than when compared to non drinkers. Also students who binge drank were found to be 4 times more likely to be using e-cigarettes.

The study revealed that after binge drinking, there have been instances of violence as well among teenagers.

Fellow study author Mark Bellis said, "Our research suggests that we should be very concerned about teenagers accessing e-cigarettes. While debate on e-cigarettes has focused largely on whether or not they act as a gateway to tobacco cigarette use, e-cigarettes themselves contain a highly addictive drug that may have more serious and longer lasting impacts on children because their brains are still developing."