Vaping trends in England

A team from University College London publishes the results of polls on 1,800 people questioned during the pandemic with data that has been accumulated since 2011. The main conclusions are:

• E-cigarette use among adults has remained stable since 2013
• The use of heated tobacco and Juul remain rare
• The use of the vape by non-smokers is very rare, but we see an increase in ex-smokers
• Vaping use among smokers and ex-smokers has plateaued

These first data show that yes, the vape is exclusively used by smokers and ex-smokers and that no, those who have never smoked do not want to try the vape.

• The frequency of use is higher in ex-smokers
• The majority of the vape is with nicotine and recent devices are much more popular
• Ex-smokers use e-liquids with more nicotine
• The use of 20mg e-liquids has increased since 2016
• The purchase of vape from specialists (vape shops) has fallen since 2016 with the increase in non-standard sellers as well as online sites
• The electronic cigarette is popular among adults and the elderly, but much less among young people

Already, we see that the attraction of vaping for young people is a myth more than anything else and I prefer that they vape rather than smoke tobacco or cannabis. We also have the myth that we can do without nicotine. I’ve said it many times before, but nicotine addiction is lifelong like any addiction. You always have to vape a little nicotine so as not to relapse and take the risk of going straight to the cigarette.

We also see that 20mg e-liquids are more popular. And that’s normal, because before 2016 and that shitty TPD thing, we used to vape higher rates. The fact that 20 mg e-liquids are on the rise shows that the current rate is not enough for smokers and therefore they vape more liquid.

Regarding the vape shops, I think we have to look at the specificities of England, but the demonization of the vape because of the EVALI (which had nothing to do with the vape) contributed to denigrate the vape shops. In addition, online sites are easier to access and cheaper and the pandemic did not help matters since they were closed during lock down.

• Long-term decline in smoking continues
• The rate of smoking cessation and the success of quitting cigarettes increased after 2011, then stabilized to start rising again in 2020
• The number of smokers trying to quit has fallen since 2015, but has risen again in 2020
• The number of smokers who think vaping is less dangerous than cigarettes has fallen since 2014

It’s interesting to see that the vape is on the rise again in 2020, whether on smoking cessation, but also on smokers who want to quit. And that’s to be expected, because 2020 is the year England regained its freedom. Brexit has allowed England to get rid of all the crap spread by the European Union on the vape. And this will increase in 2022 and beyond now that the medical authorities will prescribe the vape to smokers.

The perception towards the vape remains negative, thanks to the media and the all-out propaganda of the CDC and the United States to destroy the vape by all means.

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