A new study published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research examined types of polytobacco use trajectories during mid-adolescence and tested their prospective association with substance use and mental health problems.
Results showed that both moderate and chronic polyproduct use (i.e., combustible cigarettes, e-cigarettes and hookah use) during adolescence predicted later alcohol, marijuana and illicit drug use, as well as depression and anxiety.
Prevention implications include targeting adolescent users of all three tobacco products which could reduce risk for subsequent other substance use and mental health problems.
In addition, prevention programs addressing the connections between individual tobacco products and harm to desired future selves associated with regular physical activity and healthy nutrition could prove to enhance both tobacco and other substance use prevention and healthy behavior promotion outcomes.
This later implication is drawn from previous research showing that prevention programs cuing positive peer and desired future images of youth engaged in physical activity and other health-promoting behaviors can result in dual substance use prevention and wellness enhancing behavior outcomes: https://preventionpluswellness.com/pages/published-research-evaluation-sport-ppw
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Read more about the new study: https://academic.oup.com/ntr/article/20/suppl_1/S31/5073189