Great Britain: the number of vapers has increased fivefold in ten years

A national study found that 8.3 million adults in Britain, or 4.3 million people, vape regularly. Among them are 350,000 non-smokers, an increase of 60 million in a single year.

The YouGov study, conducted this year among 13,000 adults in England, Scotland and Wales, found that there were 4.3 million regular vapers in Britain, or 8.3 per cent of adults.[1]A segment of the population that is clearly increasing, since there were only 800,000 (or 1.7% of the population) ten years ago, five times fewer.

Among these regular vapers, 2.4 million are ex-smokers, 1.5 million are still smokers and 350,000 have never smoked tobacco. More than half (56%) have been vaping for more than three years. The proportion of people who vape regularly without having ever smoked is growing sharply, from 4.9 % in 2021 to 8.1 % in 2022, an increase of 60 % in a single year, a phenomenon explained in particular by the rapid spread of disposable electronic cigarettes ("puff") among young people. The use of these disposable electronic cigarettes concerns, in 2022, 15 % of regular vapers, compared to 2.3 % in 2021. 48 % of 18-24 year-olds reported having already tried at least one form of vaping.

More than a third of vapers smoke

35 % of these regular vapers in 2022 are also tobacco smokers, commonly referred to as dual use. Smokers who vape daily report smoking fewer cigarettes than smokers who vape irregularly.

One in five ex-smokers said they quit smoking with the help of an e-cigarette, but nearly half of smokers who tried vaping later quit, and 28% of smokers had never tried it. Of all adults surveyed, a third believed vaping was at least as harmful or more harmful than smoking.

A worrying progression among adolescents

At the same time, the organisation Action on Smoking and Health (ASH UK) published in July the results of a similar study (YouGov youth), conducted annually among young people aged 11 to 17.[2]. The organization is alerted to the increase in regular vaping among adolescents, which rose from 4 % in 2020 to 7% in 2022, as well as the increase in experimentation with electronic cigarettes, which rose from 14 % in 2020 to 16% in 2022. In this population, the use of disposable electronic cigarettes is growing very rapidly, from 7 % in 2020 to 8 % in 2021 and 52 % in 2022, a sevenfold increase in two years. 70 % of this "puff" market is held by two brands, Elf Bar and Geek Bar. Fruity flavors are the favorites of young people (57 %), followed by menthol flavors.

The ASH UK study draws attention to illegal sales of these products to minors, almost half of which (47 %) are made in stores. ASH UK also cites a “mystery shopper” study, conducted in early 2022 with minors, which indicates that 33 % of stores agree to sell these products to minors, with the highest proportions being split between purchases by mobile phone (50 %) and in discount stores (52 %). ASH UK also highlights the proliferation, particularly on the black market, of disposable e-cigarettes intended for the American market, which offer higher nicotine strengths and capacities than those authorized in Europe and the United Kingdom.

“The government says a ‘vaping revolution’ will help it achieve its ambition of a smoke-free country by 2030, but it won’t be enough. We need a comprehensive plan to help all smokers.” said Hazel Cheesemain, deputy director of ASH UK. The organisation is calling on the government to provide £15m to local authorities to strengthen enforcement of the ban on sales to minors. It also points to the intense promotion of vaping on social media, and refers to the responsibility of public authorities to enforce the provisions in force.

Questioning the place of vaping in public policies

While the UK government is celebrating the ongoing “vaping revolution” in Britain, the results are rather mixed. The YouGov survey data was only shared with the national news agency PA, which is not the best guarantee of transparency.

In a briefing to local authorities, ASH UK acknowledges that the use of e-cigarettes is not without risk and is completely contraindicated for minors and non-smokers.[3]. The organization also calls for tighter controls on the age of sale of tobacco and nicotine products to minors, and an effective ban on advertising and their promotion on the Internet. While recognizing that these electronic cigarettes will not be enough to extinguish the tobacco epidemic, ASH UK nevertheless contests a gateway effect that leads young vapers to smoke and regularly emphasizes the role of electronic cigarettes in quitting smoking.

This policy is not unanimous, however, and is currently limited to the United Kingdom and New Zealand. In an article published on July 30, Dr. Des Cox, a pulmonologist, criticizes the British anti-smoking policy, mainly based on replacing smoking with the use of electronic cigarettes.[4]. Drawing on data from the YouGov youth study by ASH UK, he highlights the role of disposable e-cigarettes in introducing young non-smokers to nicotine, which many are calling for to be banned. He believes that the gateway effect of e-cigarettes to smoking is very real, in a ratio of 3 to 5, and that this point must be weighed against the benefits observed for adults who have stopped smoking using these electronic devices. He considers that the British position, which is mainly based on a 2013 expert synthesis, should be put into perspective and further guided by more robust studies, such as meta-analyses and systematic literature reviews. Finally, he notes that, unlike in the United Kingdom, the Irish national guide to quitting smoking makes no reference to the role of e-cigarettes.

©Tobacco Free Generation

M.F.