We will use data from ALSPAC to investigate predictors of trajectories of smoking behaviours, and transitions from smoking to vaping in early adulthood. Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable cancer; understanding factors associated with smoking and vaping, particularly during early adulthood (a critical period when transitions out of smoking are likely to begin), will inform future cancer prevention programmes and public health policy. This includes identifying predictors that can be used to tailor these programmes more effectively, as well as establishing causal risk factors where interventions could be targeted.

We are proposing to collect measures of smoking and vaping in the next questionnaire. This would enable us to extend existing work being carried out as part of B3499.