E-cigarettes, including those used for vaping THC, have quickly become popular alternatives to traditional smoking, especially among adolescents, even those who have never smoked before. This rise in usage has raised significant health concerns due to potential exposure to nicotine, THC, and other harmful substances. Despite their widespread use, research is often fragmented, focusing on isolated factors such as addiction or short-term health effects. There remains a crucial need to understand comprehensive influences, such as peer pressure, social media exposure, and aggressive marketing in the US, that shape young people's attitudes and behaviors towards vaping.

This Research Topic aims to consolidate current findings and address gaps in research concerning both e-cigarette and THC vaping among youth. It seeks to investigate the prevalence, health effects, and myriad psychosocial factors influencing adolescent engagement with these products. By fostering cross-disciplinary collaborations, this topic aims to enhance understanding of how these factors interplay to drive vaping among young people. The ultimate objective is to develop robust evidence to underpin effective public health policies and targeted interventions to reduce the uptake and impact of e-cigarettes and THC vaping on this vulnerable population.

To deepen our understanding of this pressing public health issue, this Research Topic invites contributions exploring a wide range of aspects related to youth vaping. We welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
Trends and prevalence of e-cigarette and THC vaping among adolescents.
Physical and psychological health impacts in young populations.
Psychosocial factors influencing adolescent vaping.
Effectiveness of policy and regulatory measures in restricting youth access.
Prevention and intervention strategies, including educational programs and public health initiatives.

Ethics Statement for Vaping Among Young People: Health Impacts, Trends, and Policy Implications for E-Cigarettes and THC Use

As editors and contributors to this Research Topic, we are committed to upholding the highest ethical standards in accordance with the guidelines and policies established by Frontiers in Public Health, particularly concerning conflicts of interest and commercial influence.

In recognition of the potential for vested interests to bias research in the field of tobacco, e-cigarettes, and related industries, we strictly adhere to the following ethical requirements:

Funders’ Role and Disclosure
All research submitted to this Research Topic must provide a full and transparent statement of funding sources and the specific role of all funders. In compliance with Frontiers' policy, any research funded directly or indirectly by the tobacco or e-cigarette industries, or organizations affiliated with these industries, will be rejected without consideration for peer review.

Management of Undeclared Funding
Should any undeclared funding or industry affiliation come to light after publication, the editorial team will initiate a formal correction or retraction of the affected article(s) in line with Frontiers’ procedures.

Authors’ Affiliations and Incentives
Submissions from authors who are affiliated with, or have received incentives from, commercial tobacco or e-cigarette industries or their affiliates will not be considered for this Research Topic.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure
All authors are required to complete the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) Conflict of Interest (COI) disclosure form. The corresponding author must collect forms from all co-authors and ensure that a comprehensive Competing Interests statement is included in the manuscript at the time of submission.

These measures ensure the integrity and objectivity of research disseminated under this Research Topic, By excluding commercially funded or incentivized research from vested industry interests, we seek to provide robust evidence to inform effective public health policy and interventions for this vulnerable population.

Are you interested in contributing a manuscript to this Research Topic?

Vaping Among Young People: Health Impacts, Trends, and Policy Implications for E-Cigarettes and THC Use