Half of UK vapers have quit smoking

A study, conducted by YouGov on behalf of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), shows an estimated 2.9 million adults in Britain currently use electronic cigarettes.

The survey found that there was 1.5 million more ex-smokers who use e-cigarettes than current smokers and the main reason people offered for their use of e-cigarettes was to stop smoking, half of which have quit smoking.

However, the study warned there were still many people who ‘dual-use’ combustible and electronic cigarettes which still exposes them to the toxic, cancer causing substances in tobacco smoke.

It highlighted that many people are over-estimating the risk posed by e-cigarettes, with only 13 per cent of respondents recognising that e-cigarettes are less harmful than smoking. 26 per cent believed they are more or equally harmful.

According to ASH the findings outlined a communications challenge that needs to be met in order to reduce the harm caused by tobacco and address the slowed growth of e-cigarette uptake.

Figures show there has been a fourfold increase in the number of vapers since 2012. The ASH survey also found that only six per cent of vapers use nicotine above the TPD maximum of 20 mg/ml and only one per cent of vapers use more than 10 ml of liquid a day.

Professor Ann McNeill, Professor of Tobacco Addiction at King’s College London, commented: “This year’s ASH survey finds that around 1.5 million vapers are ex-smokers, for the first time a larger number than those who continue to smoke. This is encouraging news as we know that vapers who continue to smoke continue to be exposed to cancer-causing substances. The message for the 1.3 million vapers who still smoke is that they need to go further and switch completely.”

Deborah Arnott, chief executive of ASH, said: “It’s excellent news that the number of vapers who have quit smoking is continuing to grow, but there are still nine million smokers compared to only 1.5 million vapers who don’t smoke at all.”

Arnott added: “The rapid growth in e-cigarette use has come to an end while over a third of smokers have still never tried e-cigarettes, saying the main reasons are concerns about the safety and addictiveness of e-cigarettes. It’s very important smokers realise that vaping is much, much less harmful than smoking.”