Vaping in the Context of Delinquency Among Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Comparison Among Alcohol and Cigarette Use

• DOI: 10.1177/00220426211002259
• Published date: 01 July 2021
• Date: 01 July 2021
• Subject Matter: Articles

https://doi.org/10.1177/00220426211002259

Journal of Drug Issues

2021, Vol. 51(3) 531 –546

© The Author(s) 2021

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DOI: 10.1177/00220426211002259

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Article

Vaping in the Context of

Delinquency Among Adolescents:

A Cross-Sectional Comparison

Among Alcohol and Cigarette Use

Christian P. Maynard1

Abstract

Vaping has been increasing with Monitoring the Future, indicating nicotine vaping (2017–2018)

having the largest single-year jump among any substance recorded in its 45-year history.

Overall, research on vaping has been substantially limited, primarily in the context of vaping

and delinquency. This study’s purpose is to examine how nicotine vaping compares with other

common substances used by adolescents like alcohol and cigarettes within the context of

delinquency. Using secondary data from Monitoring the Future: A Continuing Study of the Lifestyles

and Values of Youth conducted in 2017, with a sample size of 8,467 participants, we find that

ever-nicotine “vapers” were associated with less delinquency than ever-cigarette-using youth;

however, these “vapers” were associated with more delinquency than ever-alcohol users. We

interpret these results in the context of social bonding and social learning theory and policies

to create awareness on the potential social implications of vaping.

Keywords

vaping, e-cigarette, youth delinquency, peer substance use

Introduction

Vaping has become a major concern due to increasing rates of youth adoption (Arrazola et al.,

2015; Schaeffer, 2019; Singh et al., 2016). Nicotine vaping among adolescents had doubled from

2017 to 2019 for past month use (12th graders: 11%–25%, 10th graders: 8%–20%, eighth grad-

ers: 4%–9%; Schaeffer, 2019). Youth vaping has become a problem at schools with students

being at risk of suspensions and expulsions (Jargon, 2019; Zernike, 2018). Oppositional groups

against vaping claim the multitude of flavors are enticing adolescents to vape, which has resulted

in various flavor bans across the nation (Bogel-Burroughs et al., 2019; McGinley, 2019; Munks

& Petrella, 2019; Siegel, 2019; West & Vielkind, 2019).

Research on vaping and delinquency has been limited. Differing vaping typologies (flavor,

nicotine, and cannabis) have evinced varying levels of delinquency with cannabis vaping associ-

ated with the highest levels of delinquency compared with the other two forms of vaping (Jackson

1Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA

Corresponding Author:

Christian P. Maynard, Department of Sociology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA.

Email: christian.maynard@wsu.edu

1002259JODXXX10.1177/00220426211002259Journal of Drug IssuesMaynard

research-article2021

532 Journal of Drug Issues 51(3)

et al., 2019). Current findings indicate that vaping is associated with traditional cigarette use and

multi-substance use (Kristjansson et al., 2018; Mulvey et al., 2010) due to similar social rituals

(Eichler et al., 2016). In addition, vaping has been associated with the adoption of higher risk

behaviors (Kaplan, 2018). These similar rituals and associations suggest that vaping shares com-

monality in terms of delinquency with other substances that are common among adolescents

(Barnes et al., 2002; Brook et al., 2008; D’Amico et al., 2016; Derzon & Lipsey, 1999; Escobedo

et al., 1997; Koh et al., 2017; Popovici et al., 2014; Sipsma et al., 2012; Wei et al., 2004; White

et al., 1999; Yamada et al., 2016). Vaping may be used as a proxy for additional substance use and

thus potentially being linked to delinquency; however, vaping may differ from these other sub-

stances due to the unique attributes of vaping like perception of health risks, normalization, and

higher social acceptability.

The current study seeks to address “How delinquency varies in association between nicotine

vaping, cigarette-use, and alcohol-use among adolescents.” This is crucial due to the lack of

abundant research on vaping. Research on vaping in comparison with other substances common

among adolescents will provide insights as to whether vaping serves as less of a marker of delin-

quent affiliation in comparison with cigarettes and alcohol. These findings will provide greater

insights for the direction of public policy related to mitigating vaping use among adolescents.

In addition, this research seeks to examine how peer influence can mitigate or exacerbate the

relationship between vaping and delinquency. This topic will be explored using national survey

data of adolescents including measures of use for the various substances of interest in this

research.

Literature Review

Substance Use and Delinquency Among Youth

Research has long shown a positive correlation between substance use and delinquent behavior

(Barnes et al., 2002; Brook et al., 2008; D’Amico et al., 2016; Derzon & Lipsey, 1999; Escobedo

et al., 1997; Popovici et al., 2014; Sipsma et al., 2012; Wei et al., 2004; White et al., 1999;

Yamada et al., 2016). Cigarette use among adolescents is also associated with increased delin-

quent behavior (Tucker et al., 2008; Watts & Wright, 1990). Yet, little is known about the associa-

tion between vaping and delinquent behaviors.

Youths who vape have a higher intention of smoking than nonusers (Bunnell et al., 2015;

Chatterjee et al., 2018; Cheney et al., 2018; Coleman et al., 2015; Leventhal et al., 2015; Miech

et al., 2017a; Wills et al., 2016) and higher rates of other multi-substance use (Lanza et al., 2020;

Wong et al., 2019; Zuckermann et al., 2019). Youths have also utilized vaping devices to con-

sume cannabis. This form of vaping is increasing among the youth population (Jones et al., 2016;

Miech et al., 2017b; Patrick et al., 2020).

Research on delinquency and vaping has been sparse, but current research has investigated

whether differing vaping typologies (flavor, nicotine, and cannabis) are associated with varying

degrees of delinquency, finding cannabis vaping to pose the highest risk (Jackson et al., 2019).

This study was significant in addressing the gap that existed among the relationship of vaping

and delinquency. In addition, this research yielded findings demonstrating that vaping substances

(nicotine or cannabis) was associated with greater involvement in delinquency compared with

adolescent who vaped flavors. Finally, this study illuminated that vaping cannabis posed a greater

risk of delinquent involvement compared with consumption of cannabis through traditional

means, which may represent a particular subgroup that exists among those who vape. This study,

however, did not examine differences in delinquency of nicotine vaping compared with cigarette

nor alcohol use (Jackson et al., 2019).