Thread by @Clive_Bates

This is known as 'salience bias' @NYSMom4Kiddos. The danger is believing teens *you* know, from your neighbourhood, from your social class, are representative of *all* teens. Actual data show 2018 high school smoking rate of 13.9% (cf. vaping 20.8%).
cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/6…
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https://twitter.com/NYSMom4Kiddos/status/1182782352382140419

Given smoking is much more dangerous (>20x), the continuing use of combustible tobacco is the dominant problem. If you harm-weighted nicotine use, the smoking problem would be 13x more serious than the vaping problem. And it is why in public health we should focus on smoking.
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But it is more complex. To understand teen vaping we need to know more.
1. How frequent is the use? Infrequent use shouldn't be that much of a concern.
2. Do frequent users also use other tobacco products? If so, vaping may be a beneficial alternative to smoking for them.
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So the NYTS data tells us that most (72%) teen vaping is infrequent and that most (89%) frequent vaping is among those who have a history of tobacco use. docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d…

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Also, there is recent analysis suggesting that claims that vaping is creating an epidemic of youth nicotine addiction are baseless: qeios.com/read/article/3…

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Anti-vaping activists trying to protect teens should know:
1 Most better-off teens aren't at much risk (they won't become smokers)
2 They might be harming other (poorer) teens who otherwise would be smokers
3 They are harming adult smokers - the population at greatest risk

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More on youth risk behaviours here - Letter to the White House
iowaattorneygeneral.gov/media/cms/Mill…

And here - Youth tobacco and nicotine use: a proportionate and responsible approach
iowaattorneygeneral.gov/media/cms/FDA_…

Go in with eyes open and first do no harm.

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