UK: Three times as many electronic cigarette consumers as two years ago, report finds

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UK: Three times as many electronic cigarette consumers as two years ago, report finds

UK: Three times as many electronic cigarette consumers as two years ago, report finds

April 30, 2014 By Innovation Editor - Europe In Europe, Tobacco

The latest figures release from Ash (Action on Smoking and Health), a health charity, has shown that in the past two years the number of electronic cigarette users has tripled in the UK.

Their research revealed an estimated increase from 700,000 to 2.1 million users in the period between 2012 and 2014. The report also shows close to two-thirds of users were smokers and one third were ex-smokers, an increase especially in the proportion of ex-smokers compared to previous years.

Figures showed that the number of non-smokers that had tried electronic cigarettes was negligible. The report also revealed that only 35% of British adults believe that electronic cigarettes are good for public health, with 22% disagreeing.

Deborah Arnott, chief executive of Ash, said: “The dramatic rise in use of electronic cigarettes over the past four years suggests that smokers are increasingly turning to these devices to help them cut down or quit smoking. Significantly, usage among non-smokers remains negligible.

“While it is important to control the advertising of electronic cigarettes to make sure children and non-smokers are not being targeted, there is no evidence from our research that e-cigarettes are acting as a gateway into smoking.”

Professor Roberts West, the leader of the study said: “Despite claims that use of electronic cigarettes risks renormalizing smoking, we found no evidence to support this view. On the contrary, electronic cigarettes may be helping to reduce smoking as more people use them as an aid to quitting.”

Source: Talking Retail