Children who experience trauma are more likely to go on to pick up vaping

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-11-12 03:00

Australia; NSW

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Experiencing trauma in childhood is known to increase the risk of substance use such as drugs or alcohol, and a new study by Australian researchers suggests this also applies to vaping. The team asked 2234 teens aged around 15 enrolled in a long-term health trial about their vaping history, and compared the results based on which teens had experienced a traumatic event before the age of about 12. The researchers say the teens with childhood trauma were more likely to have tried vaping, more likely to be current vapers and more likely to say they intended to pick up vaping in the future. The researchers say this means efforts to prevent vaping in teens should include the targeting of young people with traumatic backgrounds.