According to statistics, an estimated 4.3 million people in Scotland, England, and Wales use e-cigarettes, which amounts to 8.3% of the adult population in these three countries. This is a significant increase from 10 years ago when only 1.7% of adults in the country used e-cigarettes. This increase is equivalent to approximately 800,000 people.
Out of the current 4.3 million users of electronic cigarettes, approximately 2.4 million are former smokers, 1.5 million are current smokers, and 350,000 have never smoked before. The data also reveals that the proportion of electronic cigarette users who have never smoked before has risen from 4.9% in 2021 to 8.1% this year.
The CEO of ASH Scotland, Sheila Duffy, has called for action to address the issue of e-cigarettes among young people. Duffy explained that the widespread use of e-cigarettes and marketing tactics promoting them have contributed to an increase in use. The rise in e-cigarette use has been particularly noticeable among very young adults, and data on children and teenagers using e-cigarettes has yet to be released by the Scottish government. E-cigarette use appears to be driven largely by the availability of cheap, brightly colored, and strongly flavored e-cigarettes and disposable e-cigarettes.
Duffy is urging the Scottish government to shut down the marketing and advertising of e-cigarette products, and to further evaluate the content contained within them.
According to Duffy, "I think the issue is that the cost makes it very easy for children to access e-cigarettes, and in just the past six months, we've seen many reports of young children using e-cigarettes, even in primary schools. This is really concerning because as children's lungs and brains grow and develop, they're really susceptible to the harm these devices can cause. We don't know what's in them. So, I think the Scottish government needs to take action now, and it's not just a matter of pricing, it's about marketing, promotion, and advertising.
Duffy continued, "These companies are targeting young consumers, and it is very clear from their designs and marketing strategies. What we know is that children and young people who use electronic cigarettes have a three times higher risk of becoming nicotine addicted, and a three times higher risk of continuing to use traditional cigarettes and tobacco. For me, this is a disaster that is brewing and it is urgent. I hope to see the Scottish government take action promptly to shut down marketing and advertising and to examine the ingredients of some of these products.
Duffey insists that "urgent action" is necessary to address this issue, as she also emphasized the environmental impact of disposable e-cigarettes.
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