From vaping to smoking? First presentation of an explanatory model investigating whether electronic cigarette consumption increases the likelihood of subsequent tobacco smoking

Background: Aggressive advertising campaigns instigated by the e-cigarette (short for electronic cigarette) and the tobacco industry have encouraged adolescents to use e-cigarettes. Since the popularity of e-cigarettes among adolescents is growing, more and more researchers fear that the use of e-cigarettes may increase the likelihood of initiating smoking of tobacco cigarettes. Method: We develop an explanatory model to investigate this new and crucial public health issue. Here, we take into account earlier explanatory approaches. We conclude that the much discussed Gateway-Hypothesis falls short and a more acc…