The Facts
After analyzing the brain scans of more than 800 smokers, taken at the ages of 14, 19, and 24, scientists at the University of Cambridge say they've discovered differences in the brain from that of their non-smoking peers.
The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, found that teenagers who began smoking at or before the age of 14 showed a significant reduction in grey matter in a section of the left frontal lobe linked to decision-making and rule-breaking.
The Spin
Narrative A
This research is a positive step forward in understanding and treating nicotine addiction, but the rate at which young people in the UK are switching from cigarettes to vapes suggests a large degree of the study's usefulness will depend on whether it is also applicable to vaping. Teens across the world are facing the impacts of vaping, from bleeding lungs to lung collapse — scientists must determine if these results can be used to prevent such health disasters.
Narrative B
The threat of vaping is often massively exaggerated by media. Though deaths and serious illnesses do occur as a result of vaping, in terms of years of life lost, disability, pain, and the burden on global healthcare, smoking remains the first priority in terms of research and treatment. Western societies have chosen to treat e-cigarette usage interchangeably with tobacco smoking, even though the former remains far more popular. This research is excellent news, as it will help tackle an ongoing health crisis affecting the lives of many millions across the globe.