Rise of Disposable E-cigarettes among Young People in England

According to a report from The Independent on May 23, a new study from University College London has found that the rate of nicotine vaping is rapidly increasing among teenagers in England, with disposable e-cigarettes being a driving force. The study found that the historical trend of declining nicotine use in England is now reversing.

Researchers conducted a survey on smoking and e-cigarette trends among 132,252 people in England from July 2016 to May 2023. The results showed that as of June 2021, smoking and e-cigarette trends in all age groups in England had remained stable and gradually decreased. However, since disposable e-cigarettes have become popular, the use of e-cigarettes has started to increase in all age groups, particularly among young people (18 to 24 years old). From May 2021 to May 2023, the proportion of young people aged 18 to 24 who use e-cigarettes increased from 9% to 29%.

The research team concluded that since disposable e-cigarettes became popular in England, the downward trend in nicotine use has been reversed. Now, nicotine use seems to be on the rise, largely driven by an increase in e-cigarette use among young people. The research team is calling for urgent action to curb the growth of disposable e-cigarettes among populations who might otherwise completely avoid nicotine. This could include implementing consumption taxes, restricting packaging, or placing e-cigarettes behind store counters.

This research, funded by the UK Cancer Research Foundation, has been published in the journal "The Lancet Public Health (Europe)". Meanwhile, the World Health Organization has also released a report stating that e-cigarettes and other novel tobacco and nicotine products pose a significant threat to youth and tobacco control.

The lead author of the study, Dr. Harry Tattan-Birch from University College London, said: "If smoking rates were declining more rapidly, the rapid increase in e-cigarette use wouldn't be as concerning. However, the overall increase in nicotine use suggests that this hasn't happened.

He further called for the UK government's current Tobacco and E-Cigarette Bill, which aims to prevent the increase in youth e-cigarette use, to be welcomed. This is why the new bill will prohibit the sale of tobacco products to those born on or after January 1, 2009, and will also implement stricter controls to reduce youth e-cigarette use.

However, the bill may be shelved now that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced a national election in July.

Dr. Sarah Jackson, a senior author of the study from University College London, believes that action must be taken to counteract the trend of young people who would not have otherwise used nicotine becoming interested in e-cigarettes. Policies should not send the message that e-cigarettes are worse than smoking. Improving the appearance, packaging, and marketing of e-cigarettes, rather than their flavors and nicotine content, may be more effective in striking this balance.