UK Office for Statistics E-cigarette use hits record high, while cigarette use falls below 14% for the first time

Recently, according to figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the number of people vaping in the UK has risen to its highest level ever, while the number of British adults who use cigarettes has dropped below 14% for the first time.

The ONS has released its annual report on the prevalence of smoking in the UK, which includes data on the number of adults vaping.

In 2014, when data on the number of e-cigarette users in the UK began to be collected, 3.7% of the population reported using e-cigarettes. By 2020, that proportion had risen to 6.4%, equivalent to about 3.3 million people.

The report also revealed that the number of adult smokers in the UK is now 13.8% of the population, the lowest percentage since at least 2015.

However, smoking rates rose sharply during the Covid-19 pandemic and nationwide lockdown, peaking at 16.3% in August before slowly declining to 13.8% at the end of 2020, according to monthly data from the Office for National Statistics.

John Dunn, director general of the British Vaping Industry Association, believes that while the rise in smoking rates during the lockdown may be attributable to increased anxiety caused by the new crown pandemic, I would also point to the fact that e-cigarette specialty shops are not awarded basic retail. status, and therefore had to close down, which is an important factor.

John Dunn continued: "This is a very welcome announcement as all those who support harm reduction know that e-cigarettes are far less harmful than cigarettes - according to the former health protection watchdog Public Health England, Up to 95% - so more vaping and less smoking can only be cause for celebration.

The Office for National Statistics' smoking prevalence report highlights that the number of former smokers who now use e-cigarettes rose to 12.3% from 11.7% in 2019, while the number of smokers who also use e-cigarettes - thereby reducing their exposure to combustible tobacco Harm caused - from 15.5% in 2019 to 17.8% in 2020.

John Dunn said: "What these numbers tell me is that the powerful anti-vaping lobby is trying to discredit the effectiveness of vaping in helping people quit smoking, but it simply doesn't work.

E-cigarette advocates, on the other hand, have the scientific and political will, and a growing number of health care sectors support greater use of e-cigarettes to help smokers quit their habit completely. The momentum has finally dispelled the myth and misinformation about e-cigarettes, giving consumers the confidence to take critical steps to transition from cigarettes to e-cigarettes.