Vaping Reaches Record Levels in Great Britain

A recent ASH report highlighted that the number of vapers in the UK continues to rise. In 2022, 8.3% of all adults used a vape device, equating to over four million people. These numbers are significantly higher than a few years ago - and we couldn't be happier.

Why are higher numbers of vapers good news? Because it should lead to a fall in the number of smokers.

At 88Vape, we've seen an increase in the number of people enquiring about our high-quality products, and while we are thrilled about it, we still want to understand why people are ditching their tobacco in favour of e-liquid.

In this article, we'll explore why vaping reached record levels in the UK and why it's become so popular, so quickly.

E-cigarettes are having a direct impact on smoking prevalence among adults

Tobacco started as a luxury item for England's nobility before it gradually became widely available for the masses. The industrial revolution made it easy for manufacturers to cut costs and diversify their customer base by selling cigarettes to people of all classes.

Unfortunately, it wasn't until the 1950s and 1960s that specialists finally began to recognise the real risks of tobacco use.

According to statistics published by the NHS, around 24% of UK adults in England smoked in 2005, but since e-cigarettes have grown in popularity, those numbers have continued to decrease.

A further study by the UK government shows that people smoked fewer cigarettes in 2021, with just 13.3% using tobacco that year. With so many smokers switching from smoking to e-liquids, vaping is having a promising effect.

The number of adult e-cigarette users is at 8% in the UK

Eight percent doesn't sound like much - but when you consider what that equates to, there's a vaping revolution in the UK. An estimated 4.3 million people vape today, which is significantly more than ten years ago.

In fact, in a relatively short time, the number of vapers went from 800,000 in 2012 to 4.3 million. These numbers show an impressive increase and highlight that many ex-smokers use e-cigarettes to get off tobacco.

Many current smokers don't trust vaping

As far as the NHS is concerned, e-cigarettes are much safer than cigarettes - with specialists putting the number at 95%. However, many current smokers still believe vaping to be as dangerous or even more dangerous than smoking.

According to research published by Gov.UK, 15% of smokers believed vaping causes more harm than smoking, while 38% perceived vaping and smoking as equally damaging.

While some chemicals are found in vaping products, it's also important to remember that current and former smokers expose themselves to tar, carbon monoxide and numerous dangerous chemicals with every puff of a cigarette/pipe.

Vaping will never be entirely risk-free, but when compared to smoking, it's the safer option. Smoking is Britain's leading cause of lung cancer, with an estimated seven out of ten cases attributable to smoking (NHS).

Most current vapers have either quit or are starting to quit smoking

The Ash report also looked at how many people were using e-cigarettes to support them with quitting smoking. According to the vaping prevalence report, 2.4 million are ex-smokers, while 1.1 million people are dual users of tobacco and e-cigarettes.

Just 200,000 adults in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland vape but have never smoked. Many use vaping to protect their health, while others might want to save money or avoid the smell of tobacco.

While some people have negative views about vaping, research from Oxford University conclusively proved that e-cigarettes are more likely to help people stay away from cigarettes than other NRT (nicotine replacement therapy) tools.

Youth vaping is still a concern

While there are so many positives surrounding e-cigarettes, their popularity among young people is a concern for health professionals and schools. Again, according to the Ash report, the number of teens and younger adults using e-cigarettes continues to rise.

In 2021, 11.2% of 11-17-year-olds vaped, which increased to 15.8% in 2022. While vaping can be seen as popular among young people, most teenagers and young adults don't do it.

When we look at youth smoking stats, there were significant smoking issues. For example, in 1982, 11% of boys and girls smoked, while 9% of boys and 11% of girls smoked in 2002.

Luckily, the number of young smokers has fallen yearly since the 1980s, and the latest statics put youth smoking prevalence at just 2% of girls and boys.

While vaping products can contain nicotine, which is an addictive substance, when it comes to comparing youth smoking prevalence to vaping, electronic cigarettes are much safer.

Why is vaping so popular?

As vaping reaches record levels in Great Britain, it's only natural to wonder why e-cigarettes are becoming so popular. Vaping has many benefits, and people will continue to use it as a safer alternative to smoking.

Here are just some of the advantages associated with the vaping revolution.

Vaping has fewer toxins

When a person smokes, they inhale carbon monoxide, tar and numerous other chemicals. While vaping will have some chemicals, they're not as dangerous as those associated with smoking, as nothing burns when users puff on e-cigarettes.

As cigarettes contain around 7000 chemicals, vaping offers fewer risks - especially concerning lung disease. However, the chemical diacetyl is linked with cases of popcorn lung - a severe and potentially fatal condition (Cancer Research).

Some e-liquid manufacturers used diacetyl at first, but it's now illegal, and you can avoid exposure to it by choosing a reputable vape juice provider.

Vaping helps smokers quit successfully

There are plenty of lifesaving tools available for smokers switching to a healthier lifestyle - but traditional NRT tools offer limited success rates.

For example, the CDC in the USA estimates that the average person will try to quit cigarettes anything from three to 11 times before being successful.

While prescription medications offer better success rates than nicotine patches, gum and lozenges, the best way to eliminate tobacco successfully is through using e-cigarettes.

No more nasty smells

People often think about smoking and health but fail to understand the social implications of lighting up. Never smokers and ex-smokers don't like to be around people who smoke because they hate the smell of cigarettes.

It sticks to a person's clothes, hair and makes their breath smell - which many non-smokers will avoid. Vaping doesn't have the same effects, and most people won't notice any associated odours.

When you switch to e-cigarettes, you'll still get your nicotine hit but won't have to carry mints and body spray everywhere.

It's a safe way to quit smoking

While some argue that moving from smoking to vaping is switching one addiction to another, it's a sustainable way to remove an addiction - without all the withdrawal symptoms.

When you smoke cigarettes, there's no control over how much nicotine you inhale. However, vape juices are ideal for people who quit smoking because they can customise their nicotine intake.

For example, heavy smokers often start with a high nicotine content but gradually cut their intake until they reach 0mg of nicotine.

Choose from a range of e-liquids

If you've ever tried an e-cigarette, you'll know it's one of the best ways to address smoking and successfully quit for good. A massive bonus of vaping is the sheer availability of flavours, which go way beyond traditional tobacco blends.

You can find a range of themed flavours, including menthol blends, sweets, desserts and famous drinks. At 88Vape, we blend all of our e-liquids in-house, and regularly update our collection, giving you the cost-effective but authentic experience you deserve.

The bottom line

With the UK government aiming to become a smoke-free country by 2030, vaping increases the possibility of achieving this target.

If more people switch to e-cigarettes to stop smoking, there will be fewer smoking-related diseases and a healthier future for the nation.

It might seem like a long shot now, but future generations could never have to deal with second-hand smoke, and the sordid past of tobacco might be confined to the history books.

Previous research indicates that vaping is one of the most effective stop-smoking tools, and we'll hopefully see more information in the future that proves how beneficial e-cigarettes are.

If you'd like to begin your journey to a healthier future today, we have a range of vape kits available at great prices. You can also contact our friendly team for advice and support.