Non-smokers fuel ‘vaping revolution’ with record use

VAPING has reached record levels across Britain with non-smokers contributing to the rise, a report has found.

New data estimates 4.3 million people in England, Wales and Scotland actively use e-cigarettes, which equates to 8.3 per cent of adults.

Just 10 years ago this figure was 1.7 per cent – about 800,000 people.

Action on Smoking and Health, which compiled the report, said a “vaping revolution” had taken place over the past decade.

Of the 4.3 million vapers, about 2.4 million are ex-smokers, 1.5 million are “dual users” and 350,000 have never smoked.

The proportion of e-cigarette users who have never smoked has increased from 4.9 per cent in 2021 to 8.1 per cent this year.

The report, based on a Yougov survey of more than 13,000 adults, found that 28 per cent of smokers had never tried an e-cigarette, with 10 per cent of this group saying they were “concerned e-cigarettes are not safe enough”.

A third of adults said they believe that vaping is more, or equally as harmful, as smoking. One in five former smokers said they used a vape to help them quit.

And 56 per cent of vapers who are exsmokers said they had been vaping for more than three years.

Most people said they used e-cigarettes to help them quit smoking and 14 per cent did it “because they enjoy it”.

Most vapers reported using refillable tank systems but the report points to a rise in disposable e-cigarettes – up from 2.3 per cent of vapers using these in 2021 to 15 per cent this year.

The authors suggested that younger adults are driving the increase in disposable e-cigarettes, with 48 per cent of 18- to 24-year-old vapers using this type of device.

They found the most popular flavours were fruit, followed by minty menthol.