A recent survey conducted by The Tab revealed that 21% of Edinburgh's student population in the UK have reported being addicted to Elf Bars' electronic cigarettes.
This is the lowest percentage among all universities in the United Kingdom. Universities such as Birmingham (27%), Nottingham (29%), Oxford Brookes (32%), and Coventry (35%) have higher percentages of self-identified addiction among their students.
However, since September 2022, nearly half of the students in the Scottish capital have used branded electronic cigarettes (49%), while the national high at Oxford Brookes is 67%, and the usage rate at Cambridge University is the lowest at 26%.
Around two-thirds of Edinburgh students only use Elf Bars in social situations, while less than a third of students use Elf Bars on a daily basis.
On average, in the UK, 27% of students admit to being addicted to disposable e-cigarettes, and since the beginning of the September term, more than half of students (53%) have used Elf Bars.
The Tab conducted its first survey aimed at measuring the usage of Elf Bars among UK students. The survey collected responses from over 18,000 students at 24 universities through personal Instagram accounts operated by local student journalist teams under The Tab. Only data from universities with at least 100 respondents were recorded.
More than half of the students in Edinburgh had not smoked before using Elf Bars. These bars aim to reduce nicotine addiction over time and ultimately assist in cessation of smoking.
Dr. Lion Shahab, professor of health psychology at University College London and co-director of tobacco and alcohol research at UCLA, expressed concern during an interview with The Tab about recent statistics regarding e-cigarette use. He stated that these numbers are "somewhat worrisome," as e-cigarettes are marketed as a harm reduction product for individuals who are already addicted to smoking cigarettes.
He stated that he was not surprised by the findings of the investigation, as research conducted in his department revealed that there was a 56% increase in the number of 18-year-olds using e-cigarettes between January 2021 and April 2022.
In Edinburgh, 16% of students have reported using an Elf Bar for only one day or night, while an equal proportion of students purchase them more than once a week.
The Tab spoke with students from across the country to understand why Elf Bars have gained such popularity. Lucy, a final year student at the University of Edinburgh, said: "I may say that I'm addicted to Elf Bars, I buy a pair every week.
I try to keep it discreet in social situations, but it's not always possible. She added that in recent years, there has definitely been an increase in the number of people using them, and Elf Bars feel more socially acceptable than older, more traditional e-cigarettes.
A series of discoveries at UK universities have revealed that the figures vary, with 30% of students at Durham University reportedly able to pass their exams after consuming Elf Bars in one day or night.
Although there is growing concern over the use of electronic cigarettes among non-smokers, the UK Department of Public Health has found that e-cigarettes are 95% less harmful to health than smoking.
The trend of more and more students across the country using Elf Bars is evident. Mia*, a final year student at Bristol University, said, "Everyone I know thinks it's just a college thing for them.
Emily, who is studying at the University of Manchester, bought her first Elf Bars approximately a year ago and now goes through one in just two days.
Dr. Shahab stated, "To some extent, it may not be surprising that more and more students are using Elf Bars, but what surprises me is that many of them clearly have never smoked before.
Before introducing these new disposable devices, I thought we were achieving a balance. The usage rate among young people was very low, mainly limited to smokers.
However, in this situation, with the sharp increase in usage among non-smoking students, I do believe that we may need to adjust our approach on how to address this issue.
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