Unprecedented Increase in Adult Vaping

August 12, 2024 TruthUSA

A survey conducted by an anti-smoking charity has found that instead of helping people quit smoking, e-cigarettes are becoming a long-term habit for many individuals.

New figures show that the number of adults in the UK using e-cigarettes is at its highest, with many former smokers now addicted to vaping.

The research also revealed that the percentage of smokers using e-cigarettes alongside traditional cigarettes has nearly doubled in the last three years, and ex-smokers who switch to e-cigarettes to quit are using them for longer periods.

The Smokefree GB analysis, conducted by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) and based on data from YouGov, estimates that 11 percent of adults in Britain now regularly vape, which is equivalent to about 5.6 million people and is the highest rate to date.

Of those who use e-cigarettes, around 53 percent or three million are former tobacco smokers.

Among former smokers, the median duration of e-cigarette usage is two years.

‘Not Risk Free’

While experts suggest that vaping is less harmful than smoking, they caution that it is not risk-free and should only be used as a cessation aid.

Most of the e-liquid in vape devices consists of propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin, which help carry flavors, nicotine, and other chemicals.

The proportion of smokers who currently vape has risen from 17 percent in 2021 to 32 percent in 2024, representing 2.2 million individuals.

Over the past three years, ASH found that more than half of current vapers who used to smoke had been vaping for more than three years, indicating a transition from one harmful habit to another.

In a 2017 survey, only 17 percent of respondents had continued vaping for three years or longer.

Hazel Cheeseman, deputy chief executive of ASH, stated, “Smoking remains the country’s largest preventable cause of death, and vaping is one of the tools necessary to assist smokers in quitting for a smoke-free future.”

Professor Sanjay Agrawal, special adviser on tobacco at the Royal College of Physicians, emphasized the importance of incorporating e-cigarettes into smoking cessation efforts.

Labour Revived Smoking Ban Bill

Recently, the Labour Government revived plans to introduce the Tobacco and Vapes Bill from the Conservative administration, which aims to raise the legal age for purchasing tobacco gradually, preventing younger generations from accessing it.

The bill also seeks to regulate the flavors, packaging, and presentation of vapes to discourage teenage use.

Cheeseman highlighted the need for stricter regulations on vaping to address youth vaping without discouraging adult smokers from using vapes as quitting aids.

Half Believe Vaping Is at least As Harmful as Cigarettes

Half of surveyed smokers believe that vaping is as harmful as or more harmful than smoking, along with 60 percent of non-vaping smokers. In contrast, only 24 percent of recent quitters share this opinion.

Cheeseman stressed the importance of government communication on the relative harm of vaping compared to smoking and the need to restrict vaping as a cessation tool.

Leonie Brose, a professor at King’s College London, highlighted the misconceptions around vaping and smoking and emphasized the importance of focusing on reducing harm from smoking.

The Department of Health and Social Care emphasized the potential of vaping as a smoking cessation tool while warning against non-smokers, including children, from taking up vaping.

The upcoming Tobacco and Vapes Bill aims to protect future generations from tobacco and nicotine harms while promoting a healthier society.

PA Media contributed to this report

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