Young people who vaped were five to seven times more likely to be infected with COVID-19 than those who did not use e-cigarettes, according to a study of young people who were tested for the virus, published in The Journal of Adolescent Health in August 2020.

Authors of the study attribute the increased risk to the negative impact on the lungs from vaping.

“The U.S. Surgeon General said youth vaping is at epidemic levels, and we agree,” said Dr. Steven Dina, medical director at Univera Healthcare.

In 2020, 3.6 million young people in U.S. currently use e-cigarettes, according to a study conducted earlier this year by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Protection. That includes approximately one in five high school students and one in 20 middle school students.

“Many young people believe that e-cigarettes are less harmful than other tobacco products, but they’re wrong,” said Dina.

E-cigarettes can contain dangerous ingredients such as cancer-causing chemicals, chemicals linked to lung disease, heavy metals, ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deep into the lungs, and high levels of nicotine. It is unsafe for young people to use any product containing nicotine because it is addictive and can harm the developing brain, affecting memory and attention.