Dr. Farsalinos re-analyzes the data from the Eurobarometer survey

Dr. Konstantinos Farsalinos was a guest of the European fairtrade Vapexpo, where he presented new analyzes he made from the data collected gathered by the Eurobarometer 2014. When examined in more detail, updated conclusions differ from those initially delivered by the European Commission.

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September 22, 2015

More than 35% of current European e-cigarette users quit smoking

On stage during the Vapexpo 2015, Dr. Konstantinos Farsalinos gave an overview of his analyse of the data collected by the European Union as part of its Eurobarometer survey [1].

Remarkable figures he showed on the effectiveness of the electronic cigarette in reducing the risks of smoking will be compiled in a forthcoming scientific publication.

In his analyse, the Greek physician decided to go further in the interpretation of the data. He recovered and processed available datasets with other criteria as those of the Commission and highlighted fairly different conclusions.

In contrast with the Commission, Farsalinos justified the exclusion from the dataset of the statistical population who experimented the electronic cigarette at least once but who no longer uses it and therefore should not be regarded as “users”, to measure the effectiveness of the device.

67.3 % of current European e-cigarette users have reduced smoking risk to different degrees

Dr. Farsalinos re-interpreted data under two statistical points of view. “Current” is solely based on data from current users of a vaping device; “Current and Past” takes into account current users and those who quitted smoking using it; “Commission” recalls to memory the official conclusions.

CurrentCurrent and PastCommission

Among current users of e-cigarettes:

35,1% quit smoking (2.421.847 ind.),
32,2% reduced tobacco consumption but did not quit (2.222.241 ind.),
11,6% quit smoking but later relapsed (801.822 ind.),
19,2% did not reduce tobacco consumption (1.322.292 ind.),
0,5% increased tobacco consumption (31.371 ind.).

67,3% of current users quit smoking or reduced their consumption, decreasing the smoking risk.

Among current and past users of e-cigarettes:

22,6% quit smoking (3.899.903 ind.),
28,6% reduced tobacco consumption but did not quit (4.944.846 ind.),
17,9% quit smoking but later relapsed (3.088.245 ind.),
25,9% did not reduce tobacco consumption (4.476.107 ind.),
3,8% increased tobacco consumption (656.509 ind.).

51,2% (8.844.749) of current and past users quit smoking or reduced their consumption, decreasing the smoking risk.

Including people who experimented vaping at least once, the Commission draw those conclusions:

14% quit smoking,
21.2% reduced tobacco consumption but did not quit,
12.7% quit smoking but later relapsed,
45,5% did not reduce tobacco consumption,
3,8% increased tobacco consumption.

35.2% of current and past users quit smoking or reduced their consumption, decreasing the smoking risk.

Nearly 40 % of current French e-cigarette users quit smoking

The Greek scientist presented remarkable data for France:

CurrentCurrent and Past

In France, among current users of e-cigarettes:

39,1% quit smoking (770.617 ind.),
36,4% reduced tobacco consumption but did not quit (713.649 ind.),
7,7% quit smoking but later relapsed (151.487 ind.),
16,6% did not reduce tobacco consumption (324.466 ind.),
0% increased tobacco consumption (0 ind.).

75,5 % (1.484.266) of current e-cigarette users quit smoking or reduced their consumption, decreasing the smoking risk.

In France, among current and past users of e-cigarettes:

24,2% quit smoking (1.081.851 ind.),
22,8% reduced tobacco consumption but did not quit (1.018.461 ind.),
19,2% quit smoking but later relapsed (858.141 ind.),
30,4% did not reduce tobacco consumption (1.358.264 ind.),
3,3% increased tobacco consumption (146.838 ind.).

47,0% (2.100.312) of current and past users quit smoking or reduced their consumption, decreasing the smoking risk.

During his presentation, the scientist described these unambiguous results, especially for France. He also pointed out, among e-cigarette users the absence, of nonsmokers which indicates that vaping cannot be considered as a gateway to tobacco use in France.

Video presentation of Dr. Konstantinos Farsalinos’ presentation during the Vapexpo event, September 2015, Paris, Grande Halle de La Villette.