Is Vaping Associated with Less Nicotine Exposure Than Smoking in Adolescents?

Vaping might be associated with less nicotine exposure than smoking tobacco. The “e-liquids” in electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) can contain nicotine that is freebase (unbound) or salt based (bound to acids to decrease harshness); the latter is increasingly popular among adolescents. In a cross-sectional study in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., researchers sent questionnaires and self-collection urine kits to participants (ages, 16–19) of a previous study. Among the 364 respondents (mean age, 18), 60% reported vaping, smoking, or both in the past week, and 49% reported use in the past day.

Overall, no significant differences were noted in the levels of urinary nicotine biomarkers among those who vaped, smoked, or did both. Among those wh…