Vaping vs. smoking: Nicotine exposure

Nicotine exposure levels could be similar between adolescents who vape and those who smoke tobacco.

In a study published in JAMA Network Open, researchers examined nicotine metabolites in the urine samples of 364 participants aged 16 to 19 years, who also completed questionnaires regarding their smoking and vaping habits.

They found that compared with those who exclusively smoked tobacco, the adolescents who vaped or engaged in dual use presented with comparable total nicotine equivalents. Further, vaping products that contained nicotine salts exposed adolescents to higher concentrations of total nicotine equivalents compared with those that didn’t have nicotine salts. Notably, the researchers discovered that there were no statistically significant differences in total nicotine equivalents between the adolescents whose vaping products contained nicotine concentrations greater than 20 milligram per milliliter and those whose products contained concentrations of 20 milligrams per milliliter or less — indicating that nicotine concentrations may not be the only factor contributing to nicotine exposure.

The findings represented an urgent call to better understand nicotine exposure among adolescents as the rates of vaping continue to increase. The researchers hope the results of their study can help inform public health policies to eliminate nicotine use among this patient population.

Read more: JAMA Network Open

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