Most young people underestimate smoking cannabis compared to vaping

This large-scale study examined how young people in England, Canada, and the United States perceive the health risks of smoking cannabis compared to vaping cannabis. Researchers surveyed over 37,000 youth (ages 16-19) and 8,700 young adults (ages 20-29) to understand their views on harm from different consumption methods. The findings reveal a significant gap between scientific understanding and public perception: only 10.4% of youth and 11.8% of young adults believed that smoking cannabis was actually more harmful than vaping it, despite evidence suggesting both methods carry distinct health risks.

The study uncovered important geographic and personal differences in harm perception. Youth in England were 1.89 times more likely than those in the US to perceive smoking as more harmful than vaping, while Canadian youth showed similar patterns. Interestingly, youth with moderate-to-high mental health symptoms and those with nicotine smoking/vaping experience showed higher odds of perceiving smoking as more harmful. However, among young adults, these patterns largely disappeared, suggesting that age and maturity may influence how people interpret cannabis health information.

These findings highlight a critical communication challenge: the vast majority of young people lack accurate understanding of the relative harms between different cannabis administration routes. Since both smoking and vaping carry different risk profiles—smoking exposes users to combustion byproducts while vaping's long-term effects remain uncertain—public health campaigns need to provide clearer, region-specific guidance. The variation by country suggests that local regulatory environments and health messaging significantly shape cannabis harm perceptions, underscoring the need for tailored education strategies that go beyond generic warnings.