The Health Hazards Facing ‘Triple Users’ of Marijuana, Cigarettes, and E-Cigarettes

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About 17 percent of high school students in a new study were “triple users” of marijuana, cigarettes, and e-cigarettes. Dmitry Ageev/EyeEm/Getty Images
  • Researchers report that nearly 17 percent of high school students in a new study were “triple users” of marijuana, cigarettes, and e-cigarettes.
  • They say those “triple users” face higher risks to both their physical health and mental health.
  • Experts add that it’s more difficult for “triple users” to quit smoking and vaping.

In sports, being a triple threat likely means you’re a great player who’s dangerous to the other team. But when it comes to inhaling certain substances, a triple threat means danger to the user.

A new study reports that a sizable group of adolescents are using e-cigarettes, cigarettes, and marijuana at the same time.

Researchers say those younger people are at greater psychosocial and health risk than exclusive users of cannabis, tobacco, or e-cigarettes.

The study cross-classified use of e-cigarettes, combustible cigarettes, and marijuana among high school students in the United States who participated in the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey.

The largest segment of the participants, about 44 percent, were those who never used any of the three substances.

The next largest group was the triple users at nearly 17 percent. E-cigarette plus marijuana users were next (nearly 16 percent), followed by exclusive e-cigarette users (13 percent).

The triple user group was typically elevated above the other groups when it came to the risk level for psychosocial variables.

Source: healthline