A sliver of hope as the CDC releases data in favour of e-cigs

According to an article published on Motley Fool earlier this week, figures released by the CDC state that while 12.6% of all Americans have tried an e-cig, only 3.4% of non-smokers have tried one. Additionally only 0.4% of people who have never smoked a tobacco cigarette are currently vaping.

Amongst other things, the above figures prove once again the gateway theory wrong, ( gateway effect = the idea that vaping is a way to lure people in, get them hooked on nicotine, after which they will progress to smoking). The only gateway we are witnessing here, is a gateway for smokers to quit the deadly habit once and for all. Infact other figures have reinforced this:

• 47.6% of current smokers had tried e-cigs
• 55.4% of smokers who had quit had used e-cigs

Majority of vapers use e-cigs to quit smoking

Therefore according to the National Public Health Institutes, only a few people other than smokers are using vaping products, those who are doing so, are vaping with the intention to quit smoking. The UK has been leading the way by adopting a very different attitude than the US. After the renowned study by Public Health England which found vaping to be at least 95% safer than smoking, the country has completely endorsed the products as smoking cessation devices and as a result is reporting the lowest number of smokers ever recorded.

Many other studies back this up, including one from the American Association of Public Health Physicians, which confirmed that vaping products could “save the lives of 4 million of the 8 million current adult American smokers,” and whilst the journal The Lancet published another research saying that e-cigarettes are as effective as patches in helping people quit smoking, other experts have pointed out that vaping is one level up and is infact more effective than other NRTs as it mimics the action of smoking, hence making the transition easier for smokers.

A drop in e-cigarette sales

According to Wells Fargo, had the growth of the vapor industry not been stunted, this year we would have been expected to see $10 billion in sales, however we shall be witnessing a $1.5 billion figure instead. A recent survey of retail outlets that sell vaping products has confirmed this, and if the FDA keeps tightening its belt, things are only bound to get worse.

This downhill slope can also be attributed to other factors amongst which the fact that many prices have been reduced, (partly caused by many small businesses being forced to close shop), the bad publicity and the fact that innovation in the products has slowed down, which is thought to be partly caused by the fact that many big tobacco companies are buying out many big players in the e-cig industry.

Hoping this study will open some minds

By now we are all aware about the detrimental effects of smoking… on one’s pockets, and on one’s health, therefore negatively affecting not only individuals, but families, communities and societies at large. Smoking is costing money to the taxpayers, as public health care has to cater for the millions that are taken ill yearly because of smoking. Released data such as this one, are a step forward towards promoting these cessation aids that are by current standards known to be the best chance for a smoker to curb the deadly habit.