A report has revealed that over the past decade, the use of electronic cigarettes has rapidly increased in the UK, reaching a record high with an estimated 4.3 million individuals regularly using e-cigarettes. Data suggests that 8.3% of adults in England, Wales, and Scotland are e-cigarette users, a significant increase from 1.7% ten years ago, which accounts for approximately 800,000 individuals using e-cigarettes. The report was conducted by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), who suggest that over the past decade, there has been an 'e-cigarette revolution.'
Hazel Cheeseman, Deputy CEO of Ash, has stated that the increasing number of smokers switching to electronic cigarettes is "good news".
For those trying to quit smoking, they can be a lifesaving tool. However, relying solely on vaping to solve smoking addiction is not the answer. We must address the recent rise of young people vaping and implement broader efforts to combat smoking, as e-cigarettes are not suitable for everyone. It is time for the government to take action," she said.
According to a report, out of the 4.3 million e-cigarette users, approximately 2.4 million were previous smokers, 1.5 million were current smokers, and 350,000 had never smoked before. Cheeseman stated that e-cigarettes among the latter group are often "rare" and "experimental." The report showed that e-cigarettes have become particularly popular among young adults, with those aged 18 to 24 being the largest consumer group in 2022, accounting for 11%. This number has been growing since 2021 when their e-cigarette usage was at its lowest, at 5%. The rate among those aged 55 and above is the lowest, at 5.9%.
Cheeseman expressed concern, particularly in light of early research showing that the use of e-cigarettes among 11 to 17-year-olds has risen from 4% in 2020 to 7% in 2022, despite the fact that selling e-cigarettes to those under 18 is illegal. However, the research also indicates a decrease in smoking rates with the increase in e-cigarette use. The report is based on the annual Smokefree GB survey conducted by YouGov among over 13,000 adults from across the UK and found that 28% of current smokers have never tried e-cigarettes, 21% said they did not want to replace one addiction with another, 23% thought e-cigarette use was not similar enough to smoking, and 10% were "concerned about the safety of e-cigarettes”. A third of adults believed that e-cigarettes were either more harmful than smoking or equally harmful, which the report's authors say is incorrect.
In 2022, 35% of current e-cigarette users also smoke traditional cigarettes. Among this group, those who use e-cigarettes daily smoke fewer traditional cigarettes than those who use them infrequently.
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