Grant: Catalyst Grant: Health Effects of Vaping

Adolescence is an important developmental time when substance use often begins. More recently, electronic vaping products (such as e-cigarettes, e-cigars, vape pipes, vaping pens) have become the most common nicotine product in the US among youth. Less is known about vaping in Canada. However, research from our group found that 27.8% of adolescents from a Manitoba community sample have used a vaping product in the last 30 days. Our research has also found that adolescents who experience childhood adversity and bullying are more likely to vape. Information is now only emerging on the impacts of vaping on health with most of this research focused on adults. Less is known about poor health outcomes among adolescents with most of this work only looking at symptoms related to vaping like coughing, dizziness, headaches or migraines, dry mouth, shortness of breath, and loss of taste. Less is known about the impact vaping has on health conditions, use of the healthcare system, and if differences exist in these relationships for males and females. As well, it is currently unknown if parent vaping or smoking cigarettes increases the likelihood of adolescent vaping, if adolescents with mental health conditions are more likely to vape, and vaping is used as a negative coping mechanism. This knowledge would be useful to help develop vaping policies aimed at reducing vaping and improving health. The goals of the current research are: 1) to understand the course of vaping (i.e., never vaping, quitting, starting later, or continuous vaping) among adolescents and what factors may be related to the course; 2) to understand if vaping is associated with using other substances; 3) to determine if vaping is used as a way to cope with problems; and 4) to understand the impact vaping has on health conditions and use of the health care system among male and female adolescents and young adults. Understanding differences between males and females will be a main focus of each research aims.