UCL: High Nicotine E-cigarette Users in England Increased by 10 Times in 3 Years

According to a report by Yahoo News on June 20th, British researchers found in a recent study that the usage rate of high-concentration e-cigarettes has been increasing sharply in recent years.

Scholars at University College London (UCL) have stated that a significant portion of e-cigarette users choose to use the highest legal concentration of nicotine available to them. Researchers surveyed nearly 8000 e-cigarette users from July 2016 to January 2024, asking them about the presence of nicotine in their e-cigarettes and the amount of nicotine it contained.

According to a study published in the journal 'Addiction', the proportion of users in England using high-strength e-cigarettes has increased from an average of 3.8% from July 2016 to June 2021 to 33% in January 2024. Among users of the highest strength e-cigarettes, the vast majority (93%) were using e-cigarettes containing 20 milligrams per milliliter of nicotine, which is the legal maximum allowed.

The growth is "most pronounced" among the demographic of individuals using disposable e-cigarettes and young people aged 18-24.

Researchers indicate that the increasing popularity of e-cigarettes and disposable e-cigarettes corresponds to higher concentrations. However, they caution that taxing e-cigarette products based on nicotine strength could result in "unintended consequences.

Scholars warn that taxing high-concentration e-cigarettes could deter smokers from trying to quit by using e-cigarettes or push them towards using lower-strength e-liquids, which could "disrupt smoking cessation and prolong smoking." They also point out that proposed e-cigarette product taxes could prevent young e-cigarette users from transitioning from experimenting to regular use.

Dr. Sarah Jackson, from the UCL Institute of Epidemiology and Public Health, stated:

Our research shows that since 2021, the use of high-nicotine e-cigarettes has sharply increased in England. Nicotine can be addictive, but it is not the main cause of the health risks associated with smoking. For smokers looking to quit, using e-cigarettes with higher nicotine concentrations is more effective as it can quickly satisfy cravings and effectively alleviate withdrawal symptoms.

Implementing higher taxes on high-concentration nicotine products will make the most effective method of quitting smoking more expensive, potentially driving users of e-cigarettes to switch to low-concentration nicotine e-liquids, thus potentially undermining efforts to quit smoking.

We found that approximately 40% of smokers who quit smoking in the past year and switched to using e-cigarettes said that they would be willing to pay the proposed highest tax rate on these products.

Dr. Sharon Cox, a senior author at the UCL Epidemiology and Public Health Institute, stated:

Taxing products based on nicotine strength may also lead to people using e-cigarettes with lower concentrations and cheaper prices, and smoking more e-cigarettes, as nicotine-dependent individuals may alter their behavior to achieve the desired nicotine dosage in their body. This could potentially increase the amount of e-liquid used and increase their exposure to potential toxic substances.

Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) CEO Deborah Arnott stated:

The best way to prevent minors from using e-cigarettes is to reduce the appeal of all e-cigarettes and raise their prices, regardless of their nicotine content. These are the most effective policies to prevent children from trying smoking for the first time. However, we also need to ensure that e-cigarettes remain effective smoking cessation tools for adults, and should not discourage smokers from using high-nicotine e-cigarettes, which could be an effective aid for quitting smoking.