Skip to main content

Teens, Young Adults Modify Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on June 17, 2024.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, June 17, 2024 -- Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) are aware of and engage in modifications of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), according to a study published online June 17 in Pediatrics.

Grace Kong, Ph.D., from the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, and colleagues examined awareness and perceptions of, information sources about, and engagement in modifying ENDS among 1,018 AYAs endorsing past-month ENDS use.

The researchers found that the most common modifications to disposable pods were refilling (69.0 percent heard; 40.1 percent tried) and recharging the battery (66.4 percent heard; 35.8 percent tried). The most common sources of information were friends and social media (64.4 and 46.7 percent, respectively). Significant associations between information sources and modifications included non-social media websites and vape shops with rewicking and recharging disposable devices and modifying nicotine e-liquid; non-social media websites with refilling rechargeable cartridges/pods and disposable pods; and social media with recharging disposable devices and mixing nicotine and cannabis liquids. There were associations seen for perceptions of reduced harm and "coolness" with various modifications.

"Future research should examine whether vaping-modified ENDS confers respiratory harm and nicotine toxicity," the authors write. "Prevention and educational efforts should include the risks of modifications such as explosions and burns, as well as address cannabis vaping, given its high prevalence among AYAs who vape nicotine."

Abstract/Full Text

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.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

Vaping Tied to Lower Cognitive Scores in College Students

FRIDAY, Sept. 27, 2024 -- Vaping is tied to lower cognitive scores in college students, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Neurological...

Most Tobacco Instagram Posts Do Not Adhere to FDA Warning Requirements

MONDAY, Sept. 16, 2024 -- Most nicotine brand Instagram posts do not adhere to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) health warning requirements for tobacco promotions...

E-cigarette Use Tied to Poor Exercise Performance in Young Adults

MONDAY, Sept. 16, 2024 -- Young adults who smoke e-cigarettes (e-cigs) perform worse on exercise tests than those who have never smoked, according to a study presented at the...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.