One million in England now vape despite never having been regular smokers

A million adults in England now vape regardless of by no means being common people who smoke, a brand new well being examine suggests, as calls have been heightened for more durable laws on packaging and flavours.

Earlier than 2021, the proportion of non-regular people who smoke who vaped in England was low, at a median of 0.5 per cent between 2016 and 2020, the findings revealed in Lancet Public Well being confirmed.

However that charge elevated to three.5 per cent by April 2024, equating to about one million vapers.

One in seven 18 to 24-year-olds who by no means often smoked at the moment are utilizing e-cigarettes, the examine suggests.

However regardless of an total enhance in folks vaping since 2021, the researchers discovered the rise had levelled off since early 2023.

Specialists say that banning disposable vapes, because the UK Authorities at present plans, is just not prone to repair the issue as some manufacturers have already launched reusable merchandise.

As a substitute, they counsel, there ought to be stricter regulation round making the merchandise look much less interesting.

Senior writer Professor Jamie Brown, of the UCL Institute of Epidemiology and Well being Care, stated: “These findings are a reminder that motion is required to attempt to minimise vaping amongst younger individuals who have by no means beforehand smoked.

“Nevertheless, a balancing act is required to keep away from deterring people who smoke from utilizing e-cigarettes to give up.

“Banning disposables, because the UK Authorities at present plans, is unlikely to repair the difficulty as standard manufacturers have already launched reusable merchandise with very related designs and costs.

“A smart subsequent step could be to introduce stricter regulation round product look, packaging and advertising, as these are much less prone to scale back the effectiveness of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation – in contrast to, for example, flavour bans.

“The truth that total vaping prevalence seems to have levelled off since 2023 might reassure policymakers that it could be cheap to start with these measures and assess their influence.”

Within the King’s Speech in July, ministers promised to desk a Tobacco and Vapes Invoice to progressively enhance the age at which individuals should buy cigarettes, much like a Invoice of the identical title tabled by the earlier Conservative administration earlier this yr – to ban shopkeepers from promoting cigarettes to anyone born in 2009 or later.

The examine checked out survey knowledge collected between 2016 and 2024 from 153,073 adults (18 and over) in England, of whom 94,107 had by no means often smoked tobacco.

It additionally discovered that the sharpest enhance within the never-regular-smokers group was amongst these classed because the heaviest drinkers (of all ages), of whom 22 per cent vaped.

That is in contrast with 3 per cent and 1.3 per cent amongst these consuming alcohol at low-risk ranges or by no means.

As a result of smoking charges are larger amongst individuals who drink extra closely, this implies vaping could also be extra frequent amongst individuals who would in any other case have gone on to smoke, the researchers say.

The researchers additionally discovered that lately individuals who had by no means often smoked tended to be youthful, extra have been girls, and extra have been consuming at rising or higher-risk ranges.

Additionally they tended to have been vaping for longer, have been extra seemingly to make use of disposable units and the highest-strength nicotine e-liquids, and to purchase their merchandise from supermarkets/comfort shops.

Lead writer Dr Sarah Jackson, of the UCL Institute of Epidemiology and Well being Care, stated: “The general public well being influence of this substantial rise in vaping amongst individuals who have by no means often smoked will rely on what these folks would in any other case be doing.

“It’s seemingly that some would have smoked if vaping weren’t an accessible choice. On this case, vaping is clearly much less dangerous. Nevertheless, for many who wouldn’t have gone on to smoke, vaping often over a sustained interval poses extra danger than not vaping.”