We talk a lot about combustible cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and cannabis – but do you know about the surprising connections between them?

The “new emerging triangle” is a term utilized by tobacco control and prevention expert Jim Martin. It refers to the connections between combustible cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and cannabis products and the predatory tactics used by their respective industries to recruit young users.

Jim Martin will give an in-depth workshop exploring the new emerging triangle on December 4. In the meantime, here’s a primer on the intersections between these substances.

Combustible cigarettes and e-cigarettes are more alike than different.

Despite e-cigarette companies positioning their products as a healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes, these two products are two sides of the same toxic coin.

National and statewide data show kids and teens steadily reducing combustible cigarette use, but e-cigarettes and other nicotine products like pouches remain a problem. Like cigarettes, these products are proven to have dangerous effects on the body and brain, especially for youth.

Aggressive marketing of e-cigarettes has caused many young people to pick up a vape, even those who never smoked combustible cigarettes – one recent study found that more than 72% of vape users under 25 never smoked.

Though vape companies may bill their products as a modern alternative to smoking, the truth is most e-cigarette manufacturers are actually owned by tobacco companies.

There are concerning connections between nicotine and cannabis.

The nicotine industry also intersects with the cannabis industry in troubling ways, and youth who vape or smoke cigarettes are more likely to use cannabis.

Cannabis companies have taken inspiration from e-cigarette manufacturers and introduced numerous cannabis vapor products. Big tobacco companies, eager to cash in on the growing cannabis market, frequently invest in or acquire cannabis companies.

Plus, some crafty users are modifying nicotine e-cigarettes to use cannabis and other substances, which can lead to lung damage and respiratory illness. More than 6% of high school students reported using an e-cigarette to vape cannabis in the 2023 Viriginia Youth Survey.

The bottom line: Combustible cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and cannabis are all harmful to kids and teens’ bodies and minds. Effective prevention work must examine these three products together and expose their intersections rather than viewing them each in isolation.