Adolescents Believe Marijuana and E-Cigarettes are Harmless

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Adolescents Believe Marijuana and E-Cigarettes are Harmless

A study conducted by Stanford University Medical Center and published in the Journal of Adolescent Health finds that adolescents see vaping e-cigarettes and smoking marijuana as harmless.

Small group discussions were led by researchers at Stanford University. The topics of discussion included smoking cigarettes, e-cigarettes and marijuana. The adolescents were asked a multitude of questions about what they knew about the products themselves and the harmful side effects of each. They were also asked where they got their information, whether it be from peers, parents or teachers.

The adolescents were most knowledgeable on the dangers of smoking regular cigarettes than the dangers of e-cigarettes and marijuana. However, the adolescents did not know much about e-cigarettes or marijuana. They saw both of these products as harmless because either their parents or peers used them and did not show obvious side effects. The adolescents actually thought that marijuana has health benefits rather than negatives.

Although there is some information about health effects of e-cigarettes and marijuana, it does not compare to the information available on cigarettes. Therefore it is not surprising the adolescents had these views.