Teens who use e-cigarettes up to five times more likely to start smoking

New research from the Health Review Board has found teenagers are between 3 and 5 times more likely to start smoking tobacco if they have used e-cigarettes. Picture: Nick Ansell/PA Wire

Teenagers are between three and five times more likely to start smoking if they have used electronic cigarettes previously, a new report has claimed.

The Health Research Board (HRB), which is the lead funding agency for health research in Ireland, said its review into e-cigarette use found that e-cigarettes are associated with adolescents starting to smoke tobacco cigarettes, which could potentially lead to serious harm.