Vaping and marijuana use spiked dramatically in California between 2017 and 2018 among young adults, specifically those who are underage, according to a new study.
Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Center for Health Policy Research (CHPR) found that vaping or electronic cigarette use rose 48% among those between the ages of 18 and 25. Marijuana use among that age group climbed 19%. Cigarette use, which had been declining for the past 10 years, didn't change, they reported.
Also, 48% of electronic cigarette users, 40% of marijuana users, and 28% of cigarette smokers were between the ages of 18 and 20. A person had to be 21 to buy marijuana or tobacco products in the state in 2018, according to a release from UCLA.
Using data from the CHPR's 2018 California Health Interview Survey, the researchers found that 1.7 million, or about a third, of young adults were using at least one of these products.
The group called on lawmakers to do more to limit young adults' access to these products.
