Alcohol use has been identified as the most common predictor of escalating cannabis vaping among youths and young adults, according to a study conducted by researchers at UTHealth Houston. The findings were published in the journal Social Science & Medicine.
Cannabis vaping involves using electronic cigarettes to deliver liquid tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a concentrated form of cannabis. According to Dale Mantey, PhD, assistant professor at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, "A decade ago, 10% of cannabis users vaped it. Now, the number is about 75%, at least for youth and young adults." This increase is considered a significant public health concern.
The study examined data from middle to high school students in Texas cities including Dallas/Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, and Houston. Surveys conducted between 2019 and 2021 asked students about their cannabis vaping habits and other factors such as alcohol consumption, nicotine usage, racial identity, gender, anxiety, and depression.
Mantey emphasized the importance of identifying predictors of cannabis vaping behavior: "If we know what predicts that behavior, those are the things we can try to target for addressing and preventing cannabis vaping among youth."
At the beginning of the study period, 72.7% reported never having vaped cannabis while 12.7% had tried it before and 14.5% were current users. Alcohol was found to be a consistent factor leading non-users to experiment with or begin cannabis vaping. Researchers referred to alcohol as a "gateway" substance.
"The ultimate goal is to delay initiation of substances in youth because the later someone initiates a substance, the less likely they are to become addicted to it," Mantey said. He highlighted the need for comprehensive interventions in schools that address prevention for multiple substances including alcohol and cannabis.
The study also found that depression predicted cannabis vaping initiation among Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black groups. More research is needed to understand how mental health issues like depression impact cannabis vaping across different demographics.
Additional authors from UTHealth Houston include Stephanie L. Clendennen, DrPH; Baojiang Chen, PhD; Sana Amin; MPH; and Melissa B. Harrell, PhD.
