Teenagers who use e-cigarettes regularly are more likely to become frequent and heavy cigarette smokers, a US study finds.

    A survey of students at 10 Los Angeles County public schools found that teens who vape frequently are more than twice as likely to start smoking "on about a weekly basis," said lead researcher Adam Leventhal.

    "The more you vape, the more likely in the future you're going to be smoking cigarettes," said Leventhal, an Associate Professor of preventive medicine and psychology at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles. "You're going to be smoking more frequently, and you're going to smoke more cigarettes per day on your smoking days." However, the study only found an association between vaping and smoking, not cause and effect.

    Previous research has also found a connection between e-cigarette use by teens and later tobacco use.

Source: QNA