ASH UK (Action on Smoking and Health – the UK branch) are quite a divisive topic amongst those who advocate for THR (Tobacco Harm Reduction).
In the past I have generally supported them as they have been quite vocal about how vaping can help people stop smoking. Unlike their USA and Scottish counterparts.
But in the last year or so they seem to have lost enthusiasm for vaping. Firstly agreeing with the Vape Tax and then fully backing the Tobacco and Vaping bill. I understand them agreeing with the smoking side of the bill, but it also proposes to regulate vaping heavier.
One thing I do like about ASH UK is their data. They do lots of surveys and I always look forward to seeing real life figures about how vaping is helping smokers quit.
Released this week, the ASH UK Vaping Data figures showing that nearly 3 million people in Britain have quit smoking by vaping in the last 5 years. Which is incredible! You can read the press release here and the full fact sheet here.
But this is tainted by ASH pushing for more action on youth vaping based on the data published. You can read the press release for that here.
Data
Vaping & Smoking Statistics
In this latest release of data ASH state that overall 5.6 million adults currently vape and 53% of them have stopped smoking.
39% of the 5.6m are still smoking and only 8% have never smoked.
This is important as it shows a very low percentage of people vaping who have never smoked.
Just over half of people who stopped smoking in the last 5 years used vaping to help them quit – 2.7 million people! If that isn’t evidence for the importance of vaping I am not sure what is!
Youth Vaping
There is a separate fact sheet for this figures which you can read in full here.
Around 18% of 11-17 year olds have tried vaping. Of that number over half 53% had only vaped once or twice – not continued with use.
Current vaping figures in this age group is 7.2% including recording those who have vaped less than once a month. This has dropped from the 7.6% recorded last year. Breaking down this figure, 3% only vape less than once a week and 4.2% vape more than once a week.
1.3% who had tried vaping record that they no longer vape.
Also the figure of 11-17 year olds who had ever tried a vape has dropped. This was 20% in 2023 and is down to 18% in 2024.
Sadly 48% of underage vapers were able to purchase vapes from shops despite laws prohibiting sales.
The method of procurement for underage vapers is mainly being given them at 54% and then purchasing them from a shop at 48%.
Disposable vapes are the most popular product in this age group at 54% which thankfully has dropped from 69% in last year’s survey.
72% of 11-17 year olds reported that they had been exposed to vape promotion which has increased since previous years. The highest rate of exposure was from shops (55%) and online 29%.
These figures suggest to me that the existing laws on promotion and sales need to be enforced. There is no reason young people should be able to purchase or be exposed to vaping. More resources need to be put into enforcement.
Attitudes Towards Vaping
28% of ex-smokers cite “help them to quit smoking” as their reason for vaping. And 21% state they vape to help them “prevent relapse”.
Unfortunately 50% of smokers incorrectly believe that vaping is equally or more harmful than smoking. ASH say this is the highest figure with negative views of vaping. Only 1/3 of smokers understand that vaping is less harmful than smoking.
This stinks – the media and uneducated experts are to blame for this and this has real life repercussions – which I will discuss in another article which covers a study examining exactly this!
Vaping Products Used
When it comes to flavours Fruit is the most popular at 47%, then Menthol/Mint at 17%. Tobacco is the favourite of 16%.
The most popular type of device is a refillable tank system at 53% of vapers.
When it comes to disposable vapes these are popular with 30% of vapers who use these as their main device. This figure appears to have dropped slightly from 2023 when it was at 31%.
Vape Brands
The most popular brands in disposable vapes were Elf Bar (52%), Lost Mary (40%), Crystal Bar (355), Elux Legend (16%) and Vuse Go (13%).
For current vapers who use pod type devices the most popular brands were Elf Bar (24%), Vuse (17%) and 88Vape (12%).
When it comes to tanks – Smok was the most popular at 19%, Aspire at 18% and Innokin at 15%.
Satisfaction With Vaping
Those who tried vaping were asked how satisfying they found it compared to smoking.
68% of ex-smokers who currently vape find vaping equally or more satisfying than smoking.
54% of smokers who currently vape find vaping equally or more satisfying than smoking.
This is where things get complicated! Those who smoke but have tried vaping have a high level of dissatisfaction with vaping at 79%.
But of course many of these had tried vaping many years ago when the products and e-liquid were not as advanced as they are now. 87% of people who tried vaping more than 5 years ago said they were dissatisfied with vaping. So it would be worth encouraging these people to try newer more advanced products!
Heated Tobacco (Heat Not Burn)
Heated tobacco also known as HNB is not that well known in the UK and only 37% of smokers had knowledge of them. 9.6% had actually tried these products.
3.5% of current smokers are recorded as using nicotine pouches – up from 2.2% in 2023.
Less than 1% of ex-smokers are current users of heated tobacco devices and only 2.7% had tried them at some point.
Nicotine Pouches
More recently nicotine pouches have become mainstream and 61% of smokers have heard of these products.
Current use by smokers is 3.3% and by ex-smokers is 0.8%.
ASH’s View
I have copied and pasted some of the points made in the factsheets below…
“There is now well established evidence that vaping is an effective aid to quitting smoking and less harmful than smoking but this new data shows the scale of quitting linked to smoking in recent years.
ASH is calling for a new Tobacco and Vapes Bill to be reintroduced urgently in order to address the levels of teenage vaping but are urging policy makers to ensure that regulations do not undermine the value of vapes as an aid for those smoking.
Their survey evidence also shows high levels of public misperceptions about vaping with half of adults believing that vaping is as or more harmful than smoking when it is in fact much less harmful.”
This is where I get confused. The Tobacco and Vapes bill wants to regulate quite heavily on vaping such as flavours available. Which would be a disaster for many adult vapers – myself included as I am a huge Bubblegum fiend!
“ASH is deeply disappointed that the Tobacco and Vapes Bill was not tabled prior to the summer recess and will not be tabled until September at the earliest. Until the Bill is passed the Government will not have the powers it needs to regulate the appeal, the advertising and promotion of vapes which make them particularly attractive to young people. This delay hampers the government’s ability to regulate vaping products effectively, leaving youth vulnerable.”
Hazel Cheeseman, Deputy Chief Executive of ASH, said:
“The sustained level of youth vaping and evidence that dependency may be increasing sets alarm bells ringing. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill must be brought back immediately after summer recess, and fast tracked through parliament, so urgently needed regulations to protect young people from vaping can be implemented. Vaping is an important tool to help adults quit and it should be regulated accordingly, to prevent e-cigarettes being packaged and promoted as though they were children’s toys.”
Related Social Media Responses
As always the ASH UK Vaping Data has many responses on social media. I have collected a few of them below. Click on the tweet to read in full!
Plus also let me know your thoughts in the comments section below!
🆕Nearly 3 million people in Britain have quit smoking with a vape in the last 5 years.
🧵Thread on new adult vaping data👇 https://t.co/eAfB1bG9FX pic.twitter.com/Nzp7ohujSk
— ASH (@AshOrgUK) August 12, 2024
New @AshOrgUK survey data suggest that “[a]mong all those who stopped smoking in the last 5 years [in Britain] just over half report they used a vape to quit equating to 2.7 million people”. This completely debunks claims that #vaping to stop🚬only works in clinical trials. https://t.co/xuU5iWw9TS
— Floe Foxon (@FloeFoxon) August 12, 2024
“More than half of ex-smokers who quit in the last five years say they used a vape in their last quit attempt, which amounts to 2.7 million ex-smokers.” ASH UK. https://t.co/OhRRUuRFWL pic.twitter.com/N76DaXHQf7
— Jonathan Foulds PhD (@JonathanFoulds) August 12, 2024
Sadly nothing in the Tobacco & Vapes Bill will do anything to reduce youth vaping . It will only fuel a black market, confuse smokers as to the relative risk of vaping , put off adult switchers, reduce choice for adult vapers. Things like licensing and large fines would work.
— John Dunne (@Jdunne9407uk) August 12, 2024
Latest @AshOrgUK report on adult vaping is out
My personal headlines:
When I launched the 1st vape-friendly Stop Smoking Service I was amazed at the rise in successful quits
I am still seeing this trend
People who think they’ve tried everything should try vaping— Louise (@grannylouisa) August 12, 2024
Over 1/2 of people who stopped smoking in last 5 years used a vape @AshOrgUK. Vital we give people every chance to switch away from the largest cause of preventable disease and create a smokefree future for the UK, while also reducing appeal to children https://t.co/PRA7jMko2s
— Fresh – Making Smoking History (@FreshSmokeFree) August 12, 2024
New data from @AshOrgUK found more than half of ex-smokers in Great Britain who quit in the past five years – amounting to 2.7 million adults – used a vape in their last quit attempt.
Further, it revealed the main motivations for vaping amongst current smokers included to cut… pic.twitter.com/Kgg8nlEi9R
— UKVIA (@Vaping_Industry) August 12, 2024
The latest survey by @AshOrgUK has found that
➡️2.7 million smokers have quit by #vaping in the last 5 years in Britain
➡️Vaping is by far the most popular quitting aid
➡️One third have also stopped vapinghttps://t.co/18ZQ6Xx87P@Mark_Butler_MP @AlboMP @Anne_Ruston…— Dr Colin Mendelsohn (@ColinMendelsohn) August 14, 2024
Fascinating data from @AshOrgUK – note the statistic that shows that vapers tend to *decrease* the strength of their vape over time. As I found in my Stop Smoking Service, nicotine in a vape is NOT ‘highly addictive’ otherwise you’d see the opposite trendhttps://t.co/QvP24d6Z3s
— Louise (@grannylouisa) August 14, 2024
