According to a report from the East Anglia Daily Times on January 23, a new study by University College London (UCL) has found that the phenomenon of "dual use" (using both traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes simultaneously) is on the rise in the UK. The research team has been tracking smoking and e-cigarette use habits through surveys since 2016, with over 128,000 UK adults participating in the Smoking Toolkit Study so far.
A study has found that in 2016, about 3.5% of adults in the United Kingdom were concurrently using both traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes. By 2024, this figure had increased to 5.2%.
According to reports, the proportion of dual use of disposable e-cigarettes significantly increased in the mid-2021s, reaching 34% of smokers by April 2024. Among them, the growth of dual use among young smokers was most significant, with nearly three-fifths (59%) of young smokers using e-cigarettes simultaneously, a significant increase from the initial study period of 19.6%.
The study also indicates that dual use may be associated with a reduction in traditional cigarette use among some smokers and an increase in e-cigarette use. Data shows that the proportion of daily smokers who occasionally use e-cigarettes has decreased from 32% to 15%, while the proportion of daily e-cigarette users who do not smoke daily has increased from 8% to 22%. The research team believes that this shift may be due to younger smokers using e-cigarettes more frequently and using traditional cigarettes less often.
However, the research team also warned that misconceptions about the dangers of e-cigarettes may hinder smokers from quitting. The study found that among dual users who believed that e-cigarettes are less harmful or equally harmful, the proportion of daily e-cigarette users was higher.
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