[Freak_NL]

In the Netherlands the scientific Trimbos Institute has been reporting this based on their regular demographic research polls, but health care professionals are drawing this conclusion too. Near the end of high school vaping is something the kids do. To be really cool, you gotta smoke — and as this group of unfortunate kids is already addicted to nicotine…

[funkyfourier]

As a former smoker and vaper for 12 years this is unfathomable to me. Vaping is just better in every way. It takes some getting used to when coming straight from cigarettes, but after that the flavor of tobacco is just pure stench when compared to vanilla, strawberries etc.

[Freak_NL]

That's the problem with a not yet fully developed prefrontal cortex; cool now is way more important than healthy later.

[whycome]

You're saying they leave high school and because they vaped they will switch to smoked tobacco?

[Freak_NL]

No, what is reported is that older high school kids who vape take up smoking tobacco because vaping is perceived as childish by that time.

This is from a Dutch newspaper article interviewing one of the researchers from the Trimbos Institute:

> De overstap naar sigaretten met tabak is vervolgens snel gemaakt, zegt Croes. „We horen ook dat de jonkies op het schoolplein vapen, maar dat in de bovenbouw niet meer stoer vinden. Dan gaan ze roken, wat in hun ogen nu weer een positief imago heeft gekregen.” Zo vormen e-sigaretten volgens haar een „enorme tegenkracht” voor campagnes die jongeren van roken moeten weerhouden.¹

(Tobacco) smoking is cool again. The young kids vape, so to be really cool and adult…

1: https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2024/10/01/beginnen-met-een-sigare...