Young adults who had pediatric bariatric surgery showed notable marijuana and e-cigarette use
Among young adults followed up to 6 years after pediatric bariatric surgery, marijuana and e-cigarette use were documented, raising concerns about substance use during a vulnerable recovery period.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Marijuana, conventional cigarette, and e-cigarette use were observed in young adults who had undergone pediatric bariatric surgery, with substance use patterns emerging during the post-surgical years when addiction vulnerability may be heightened.
Key Numbers
Five academic medical centers. Young adults followed up to 6 years post-pediatric bariatric surgery. Marijuana, cigarettes, and e-cigarettes/alternative products assessed.
How They Did This
Longitudinal follow-up of young adults from five academic medical centers who underwent pediatric metabolic and bariatric surgery. Assessed marijuana, cigarette, and alternative tobacco product use up to 6 years post-surgery.
Why This Research Matters
Post-bariatric surgery patients face altered substance metabolism and increased addiction risk. Understanding substance use patterns in this population is important for post-surgical care guidelines.
The Bigger Picture
Bariatric surgery is increasingly performed in adolescents, and the post-surgical years coincide with peak substance experimentation. Altered gut absorption after surgery may change how substances, including cannabis, are metabolized.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Multi-center but likely small sample. Self-reported substance use. Cannot compare to non-surgical controls without additional data. Post-surgical metabolic changes may affect how substances are processed but were not measured.
Questions This Raises
- ?Does bariatric surgery alter cannabis metabolism or subjective effects?
- ?Should post-bariatric care protocols specifically screen for and address substance use?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Marijuana and e-cigarette use documented up to 6 years post-pediatric bariatric surgery
- Evidence Grade:
- Multi-center longitudinal study. Descriptive data without control comparison limits interpretation.
- Study Age:
- Published 2023.
- Original Title:
- Marijuana, e-cigarette, and tobacco product use in young adults who underwent pediatric bariatric surgery.
- Published In:
- Surgery for obesity and related diseases : official journal of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery, 19(5), 512-521 (2023)
- Authors:
- Zeller, Meg H, Strong, Heather, Reiter-Purtill, Jennifer, Jenkins, Todd M, Mitchell, James E, Michalsky, Marc P, Helmrath, Michael A
- Database ID:
- RTHC-05051
Evidence Hierarchy
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does substance use matter after bariatric surgery?
Bariatric surgery changes gut anatomy and metabolism, potentially altering how substances like cannabis are absorbed and processed. Additionally, cross-addiction (developing new substance dependencies after surgery) is a recognized phenomenon in bariatric populations.
Do teens use cannabis after weight loss surgery?
This study documents marijuana use among young adults followed after pediatric bariatric surgery. The post-surgical period coincides with adolescence and young adulthood, when substance experimentation typically peaks, creating a convergence of surgical and developmental risk factors.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-05051APA
Zeller, Meg H; Strong, Heather; Reiter-Purtill, Jennifer; Jenkins, Todd M; Mitchell, James E; Michalsky, Marc P; Helmrath, Michael A. (2023). Marijuana, e-cigarette, and tobacco product use in young adults who underwent pediatric bariatric surgery.. Surgery for obesity and related diseases : official journal of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery, 19(5), 512-521. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soard.2022.11.008
MLA
Zeller, Meg H, et al. "Marijuana, e-cigarette, and tobacco product use in young adults who underwent pediatric bariatric surgery.." Surgery for obesity and related diseases : official journal of the American Society for Bariatric Surgery, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soard.2022.11.008
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Marijuana, e-cigarette, and tobacco product use in young adu..." RTHC-05051. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/zeller-2023-marijuana-ecigarette-and-tobacco
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.