Vaping 'is a gateway to smoking for children'

CHILDREN who vape are more likely to go on to be smokers, be diagnosed with asthma and have poor mental health, a new analysis suggests.

- ELLA PICKOVER

The largest global review on vaping in young people found “consistent evidence” that children who vape are three times more likely to go on to become smokers.

The study also pointed to links between vaping and increased odds of respiratory illness and substance abuse including drinking and marijuana use.

Experts from the University of York and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) analysed all available reviews on youth vaping - also known as an umbrella review.

This including 56 reviews on 384 studies.

Some 21 of these looked at use of e-cigarettes among young people and later cigarette smoking.

Not only were vapers more likely to smoke in later life, they were also more likely to smoke more frequently and intensely, experts said.