Two case reports of teens who vaped nicotine and marijuana during the pandemic illustrate how social stressors, mental health symptoms, and polysubstance use intersect in adolescent vaping.
Pediatricians, adolescent medicine specialists, school counselors, and parents concerned about teen vaping.
Social stressors identified as key drivers of adolescent vaping behavior
What the researchers found
Both adolescent patients had underlying social stressors and mental health symptoms that contributed to vaping behavior. Addressing these root causes, rather than just the vaping itself, appeared important for treatment.
Why it matters
The pandemic disrupted healthcare access for teens during a period of rising vaping rates. Understanding why teens vape and what interventions work is critical as both nicotine and THC vaping continue to grow.
The numbers in context
Two adolescent cases detailed. Both involved nicotine and marijuana vaping during the COVID-19 pandemic with co-occurring mental health symptoms.
How the study worked
Two case reports from a managed care organization documenting clinical course and treatment interventions for adolescents who vaped during the COVID-19 pandemic.
What this study cannot tell us
Only two cases from a single healthcare system. Cannot generalize to broader adolescent populations. COVID-19 context may not apply to post-pandemic adolescent vaping patterns.
How to read the evidence
Two case reports from a single institution. Illustrative but not generalizable.
When this study was published
Published 2023. Cases from the COVID-19 pandemic period.
The bigger picture
Adolescent vaping rarely happens in isolation. It typically co-occurs with mental health challenges, social stressors, and sometimes other substance use. Treatment approaches that address only the vaping behavior without tackling underlying issues are likely to fall short.
Questions still open
- What evidence-based treatments are most effective for adolescent THC vaping specifically? How has adolescent vaping behavior changed since pandemic restrictions ended?
Common questions
Why do teens vape marijuana?
How should teen vaping be treated?
Read the original research
Clinical course and treatment interventions for adolescents who vaped during the COVID-19 pandemic.
BMJ case reports, 16(11)
Citation
Su, Alex; Albarran Garcia, Daisy; Li, Mandy; Ogbonna, Chinyere; Tsang, Thomas; Tsang, Alex; Bantug, Chynna; Tom, Wynnyee; Harris, Brooke. (2023). Clinical course and treatment interventions for adolescents who vaped during the COVID-19 pandemic.. BMJ case reports, 16(11). https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2023-255844
Explore the wider topic
- How to Talk to Your Teenager About Weed (Without Losing Them)
- My Kid's Friends Smoke Weed: A Parent's Guide
- I Smoke Weed But Don't Want My Kids To: Navigating the Hypocrisy
- Quitting Weed as a Parent: Why It Is the Hardest and Most Important Quit
- Quitting Weed as a Teen or Young Adult
- My Kid Is Smoking Weed: A Parent's Guide