Vaping while high: Factors associated with vaping marijuana among youth in the United States.

Introduction:
This text summarizes a study that examines the rates of vaping marijuana and investigates the associations between sociodemographic variables and the use of tobacco products among a recent national representative sample of youth in the US. The study aims to provide a better understanding of the factors associated with vaping marijuana among US youth in light of the recent EVALI outbreak.

Key Points:

* The study used data from the 2018 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) and included 10,680 participants.
* Ever vaping marijuana was the outcome of interest, and the study also looked at the use of tobacco products, harm perception toward e-cigarette, and frequency of e-cigarette use.
* The study found that 26.2% of participants reported ever vaped marijuana, and this was significantly associated with gender, race, ever and current tobacco use, harm perception toward e-cigarette, lifetime frequency of e-cigarette use, and difficulty concentrating because of mental/emotional/physical condition.
* Female participants, high school students, and non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic participants had higher odds of ever vaping marijuana.
* Participants who ever tried cigarettes, cigars, or hookah, and current cigar and e-cigarette users had higher odds of ever vaping marijuana.
* Participants who reported using e-cigarette for more than 100 days in their lifetime had higher odds of ever vaping marijuana.
* Participants who believed that e-cigarettes are equally addictive to cigarettes were less likely to ever vape marijuana.

Main Message:
The study highlights the importance of addressing racial/ethnic disparities, raising awareness about the detrimental effects of vaping, and preventing use of tobacco products as important components of interventions aimed at curbing the rates of vaping marijuana among youth in the US. The positive association between frequency of e-cigarettes use and vaping marijuana, as well as the importance of risk perception in motivating behavior change among youth, are also highlighted. The study suggests that tobacco control campaigns should include educational elements on the use of various tobacco products to consume marijuana and the associated combined detrimental health effects on youth.

Ben Taleb Z, Kalan ME, Bahelah R, Boateng GO, Rahman M, Alshbool FZ. Vaping while high: Factors associated with vaping marijuana among youth in the United States. Drug and alcohol dependence. 2020;217:108290. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108290