Over three million people in the UK are now using e-cigarettes, according to a survey by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH).
YouGov, the polling organisation conducted survey of over 12,000 adults, finding that there are now approximately 3.2 million vapers in Great Britain, compared with an estimated 7.4 million smokers in the UK. Of current the e-cigarette users, over half have quit smoking and 40% are current smokers who are trying to quit.
‘Stopping smoking is not easy, and medicines are part of a vital ingredient to help treat tobacco dependency, said Darush Attar-Zedal, a smoking cessation expert. ‘E-cigarettes are currently the most popular stop smoking aid and considerably safer than smoking. More effort is needed by GPs, Nurses and Pharmacists to educate patients of the benefits to reduce morbidity and mortality. Unfortunately, there are still many people who are misinformed.’
In 2012 there were 700,000 vapers and in 2018 there are now more than 4 times that number. However, ASH notes, there remains a group of smokers who refuse to try e-cigarettes. Approximately, a third of smokers say they have never even tried an e-cigarette, with concerns about addiction topping the list of reasons why they haven’t tried one.
Deborah Arnott, Chief Executive of ASH said: ‘UK policy is on the right track with thousands of smokers making the switch to vaping and improving their health and little sign of non-smokers taking up vaping. But even more smokers could benefit if e-cigarettes were licenced as medicines and available on prescription.’
In 2015 there was also an increase in smokers’ perceptions of harms from e-cigarettes. Around 16% of smokers wrongly believed they were as or more harmful as smoking compared with 10% in the year before. The percentage of smokers who now believe vaping is as harmful or more harmful as smoking now at 22%. However, in 2018 there has been an increase in the percentage of smokers who correctly believe vaping to be less harmful than smoking, at 27% in 2018 compared with 22% in 2017.
Dr Leonie Brose, King’s College London, said: ‘The continued false belief among some smokers that vaping is as bad as smoking is worrying. Campaigns from Public Health England and others to challenge these views are important and must continue.’