UK Smokers Remain Suspicious of E-Cigarettes

Despite all the efforts by Public Health England (PHE) to encourage smokers to switch to vaping in order to reduce harm, most UK smokers remain sceptical.

Diane Caruana

September 17, 2021

The UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recently officially recognized vaping products as smoking cessation tools.

A 2019 study commissioned by Yorkshire Cancer Research, surveying 844 current smokers and 1,156 ex-smokers, had found that tobacco users are still “suspicious” of e-cigarettes with many saying that they would not try vaping. The research indicated that despite all the efforts by the PHE encouraging smokers to switch to the proven safer alternatives, only one in 10 ex-smokers quit via vaping.

Another study funded by Cancer Research UK (CRUK), had yielded similar results. The research by King’s College London was published in the journal Addiction, and had indicated that smokers and ex-smokers in the UK still consider vaporizers more harmful than they actually are.

The researchers of the CRUK study found that sadly, fewer than 6 out of 10 people, accurately believed that e-cigarettes are less harmful than tobacco cigarettes. They compiled this data by using an online survey of 1720 UK smokers and ex-smokers and pointed out that sadly, misperceptions about the harms of vaping appear to be on the increase and are particularly strong in smokers and those who have never tried vaping.

Despite the PHE’s efforts, there is still a long way ahead

Responding to this study, Tobacco Control Lead at Public Health England, Martin Dockrell, had said that despite the organization’s efforts, clearly there is still a long way ahead. “There is still work to do to reassure smokers that vaping, while not risk free, is much less harmful than smoking. If you smoke, switching to an e-cigarette could save your life.”

A film released by the health organization, gives a good indication of the amount of toxic chemicals and tar that an average smoker inhales per month, in comparison to those inhaled by a non-smoker or a vaper.

UK institute officially recommends e-cigs to quit smoking

Meanwhile, the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recently officially recognized vaping products as smoking cessation tools.

Tobacco harm reduction advocates around the world welcomed the development. “The draft new guidelines on how to effectively help smokers to quit, published today, state that:

‘nicotine-containing e-cigarettes can help people to stop smoking and are similarly effective to other cessation options’ and
‘people should be able to use e-cigarettes as one of several options to support smoking cessation, if they so choose’,” read a press release by the World Vapers’ Alliance (WVA).