Vaping has reached an all-time high among adults in the UK, the highest level recorded in eight years. It was expected vaping would help people quit smoking, but is it merely giving people a new vice?
5.6 Million Adults in the UK Vape
5.6 million adults in Britain vape; that’s about 11% of the population and the highest recorded level since 2017, according to an analysis conducted by Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) and based on collected data by YouGov for the public health charity.
Smoking and Vaping on the Rise
The percentage of people who use vapes as well as smoking has nearly doubled in the past three years, going from 17% in 2012 to 32% in 2024.
Former Smokers Turn To Vaping
More than half the people who vape are former smokers, which is equivalent to 3 million people, and the median length of the addiction is two years with an e-cigarette before eventually quitting or continuing to vape.
Vaping Addiction Gains Longevity
However, according to Ash, more than half of vapers who were former smokers had been vaping for more than three years.
Vaping Encouraged as a Tool to Quit Smoking
Vaping has been promoted as a means to quit smoking, with a page even dedicated to the switch on the NHS website.
Smoking Is a “Preventable Killer ”
The deputy chief executive of Ash, Hazel Cheeseman, said, “Smoking is still the country’s preventable killer and vaping is one of many tools needed to help smokers quit if we are to create a smoke-free country for current as well as future generations.”
Vaping Is Not ”Risk Free”
Experts have said that although vaping is considered less harmful than cigarettes, it is still not “risk-free” and should only be used as an aid to quit and not for long-term replacement.
Vaping Is an Effective Aid for Smokers
The director of external affairs at Asthma + Lung UK, Henry Gregg, said, “Quitting smoking can be incredibly difficult, so it’s great to see that many smokers find vapes a really effective stop-smoking aid.”
Government to Provide Quitting Smoking Local Services
Gregg mentioned that the government needs to provide the right local services to help as many people quit smoking as possible. These help areas need to be addressed and have faced severe budget cuts in recent years.
Tory Bill Revived by Labour
Labour has said that it will revive the Tory government’s tobacco and vapes bill, which would ban anyone born after 1 January 2009 from buying cigarettes, with the focus on gradually eliminating cigarette smoking.
New Legislation Should Be Aimed at Children
Ms Cheeseman emphasised that the new proposed legislation about e-cigarettes must be aimed explicitly at deterring children as opposed to adults who wish to quit smoking.
Vaping Has Increased Smoker’s Life Expectancy
She stated, “Millions of people have used vapes to successfully stop smoking in recent years, increasing healthy life expectancy and improving the nation’s productivity.”
Stricter Vape Regulations Are Needed
In addition, “Tougher vape regulations are urgently needed, but it is important they are calibrated to address youth vaping while not deterring use of vapes as quitting aids.”
Short and Medium Term Vaping Effects Are ”Less Harmful”
In 2022, UK experts reviewed international evidence and found that “in the short and medium term, vaping poses a small fraction of the risks of smoking.”
Second-Hand Vape Smoke Should Be Kept Away From Babies and Children
Vaping has not been around long enough to know the risks in the long term, but what is known is that they aren’t harmless and should be kept away from babies and children as the vape second-hand smoke hasn’t got enough evidence underway yet.
Vape Could Be Equivalent to 20 Cigarettes
A UK-regulated disposable vape with the highest legal nicotine level (20mg/ml) contains 2ml of liquid, and 40mg of nicotine delivers a similar amount of nicotine as 20 cigarettes, so are we swapping one bad habit for another?
Aim of Smoke-Free Generation
The proposed tobacco and vapes bill intends to create the first-ever smoke-free generation, where it will be illegal for those who turn 15 or younger in 2024 to purchase tobacco products. But it will not stop anyone who currently legally smokes from being able to do so.
Vapes to Be Less Appealing
They also hope to make the attraction of vaping less appealing by regulating flavours, packaging and points of sales, whereby it is used primarily as a tool to quit smoking.
New Bill Could Ease Pressure on NHS
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said, “The upcoming tobacco and vapes bill will protect future generations from the harms of tobacco and nicotine, saving thousands of lives and easing pressure on the NHS. By building a healthier society, we will help to build a better economy.”
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Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Tim j Fleming.