THE SMOKE-FREE FACTS
An estimated 3.2 million adults in Great Britain currently use e-cigarettes .
That figure is up four-fold from 700,000 members of the population who identified as vapers back in 2012 , the first year a similar survey was conducted in the UK .
In this study commissioned by Action on Smoking and Health ( ASH ), researchers found that the number of vapers has grown rapidly over the last few years , despite reports of a plateau .
The health charity working to eliminate harm caused by tobacco consumption published findings from YouGov and King ’ s College London researchers who carried out the study on 12,767 British adults .
The researchers also found there are now more ex-smokers ( 1.7 million ) who use e-cigarettes than there are current smokers ( 1.4 million ).
This means that more than half ( 52 percent ) of e-cigarette users are ex-smokers , while 44 percent are current tobacco smokers , or ‘ dual users ’ as the term is known .
The main reason for vaping cited by current vapers at the time they were surveyed was smoking cessation , which confirms what many other studies and vaping advocates in the UK have already alluded to .
The investigation was undertaken in February and March this year and the figures have been weighted and are representative of all Great British adults ( aged 18 +).
Talks of a plateau have been circulating throughout the year . The findings of this study show doubt or misperceptions may be the root of the plateau problem as around one third of smokers say they have never even tried an e-cigarette , with concerns about addiction topping the list of reasons why they haven ’ t tried one .
However , the findings show that attitudes have changed this year . The percentage of smokers who correctly believe vaping to be less harmful than smoking now stands at 27 percent , that ’ s up from 22 percent in 2017 .
One month later , the world-renowned Dr Riccardo Polosa published findings which show that e-cigarette use may help undo the damage of smoking in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD ) patients .
Then it was announced that prisoners in Scotland are to receive free starter kits to combat the smoking rate behind bars .
Here we have a confirmed theory that the majority of vapers in the UK , even those who dual use , are vaping in order to quit smoking for good . One of the researchers on this Smokefree GB ASH study said she hopes these findings show sceptics that vaping is less harmful than smoking .
“ The continued false belief among some smokers that vaping is as bad as smoking is worrying . Campaigns from Public Health England and others to challenge these views are important and must continue .”
- Dr Leonie Brose , King ’ s College London
The research , published mid-September , comes at an opportune time for vaping in the UK as the industry and smokers prepare for Stoptober 2018 , the country ’ s largest public health campaign targeted at smokers .
Announcing the findings , Deborah Arnott , chief executive of ASH said the next step in breaking the grasp cigarettes hold on the British public is for the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency ( MHRA ) to licence e-cigarettes to make vape products accessible through GPs .
“ UK policy is on the right track with thousands of smokers making the switch to vaping and improving their health and little sign of non-smokers taking up vaping . But even more smokers could benefit if e-cigarettes were licenced as medicines and available on prescription .”
It ’ s been a stellar few months for the UK ’ s vape community . First , we had a significant endorsement of vaping as a means to improve public health and boost the NHS purse on the back of the science and technology committee ’ s report in August .
THE SMOKE-FREE FACTS
E-liquids containing nicotine are currently being used by the majority of vapers in the UK . British vapers are much more likely to report a decrease in nicotine strengths over time .
The top three reasons ex-smokers give for vaping are : to quit or abstain from smoking ( 62 percent ), because they enjoy it ( 11 percent ) and to save money ( 10 percent ).
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