Vaping Is A Gateway To Smoking, Evidence Says

Follow Drugslib on

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Aug 21, 2025.

via HealthDay

THURSDAY, Aug. 21, 2025 — Vaping appears to act as a gateway to cigarette smoking among young people, a new evidence review says.

E-cigarettes also were significantly linked to risk of asthma and substance use, researchers reported Aug. 19 in the journal Tobacco Control.

“The consistency in the evidence is striking,” said lead researcher Su Golder, an associate professor in health science at the University of York in the U.K.

“Across multiple studies, young people who use e-cigarettes are more likely to smoke in the future,” she said in a news release. “These findings support stronger public health measures to protect teens from the risks associated with vaping.”

For the new paper, researchers pooled data from 56 prior reviews of research regarding vaping.

The results show that vaping increases risk of taking up smoking, with risk estimates ranging from 50% to 26-fold higher, researchers said.

Most reviews found that young people who vape are about three times more likely to start smoking, compared to those who don’t vape, the paper says.

The new analysis also linked vaping to substance use, including:

  • Nearly triple to sixfold greater odds of marijuana use.

  • 4.5 to more than sixfold increased risk of drinking.

  • 4.5 to nearly sevenfold increased risk of binge drinking.

    • Vapers also had a 20% to 36% increased risk of asthma, with a 44% higher risk of worsening asthma symptoms, researchers reported.

    “Our review provides the most comprehensive picture to date on the range of risks vaping poses to young people,” researcher Greg Hartwell said in a news release. He’s a clinical assistant professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

    “In particular, we found consistent evidence around transitions to smoking which of course, in turn, opens the door to the multitude of harms that conventional cigarettes bring,” Hartwell added.

    The results support measures to restrict the sales and marketing of e-cigarettes to young people, researchers concluded.

    “Such efforts may form part of a wider set of measures to restrict harms, including raising the public’s and young people’s awareness of these harms, and counter-marketing to raise public and policy awareness of the marketing and strategies that e-cigarette companies have targeted at children and young people,” researchers wrote.

    Sources

  • University of York, news release, Aug. 19, 2025
  • BMJ, news release, Aug. 19, 2025

    • Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

    Source: HealthDay

    Posted : 2025-08-22 00:00

    Read more

    Disclaimer

    Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

    The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

    Popular Keywords