The latest ASH Smokefree GB survey is out. YouGov surveyed over 13,000 Britons in Spring of this year, and some of the findings are encouraging news. The headline story is that vapes have helped almost 3 million people quit smoking over the last five years. However, there is plenty to be frustrated about, too.
Let’s take a look at what we can learn from the survey.
The symbiotic relationship between vaping going up and smoking going down is getting harder to ignore, even for the most trenchant puritans in tobacco control.
First, let’s look at the ASH smoking survey from last year. Smoking rates have reduced dramatically since 2012, which is the year that vaping rose in popularity on these shores.
Then, let’s take a look at the rise of vaping in Great Britain since 2012.
Smoking rates among 16-24-year-olds have collapsed from around 25% in 2012 to around 10% in 2022. Right now, it’s likely below 10%.
Fruit flavours are used by almost half of all adult vapers. That number has more than doubled since 2016. The popularity of tobacco flavours, on the other hand, has more than halved to 16% in the same period.
Any proposed flavour ban or limitations would be a grave mistake when seen in the context of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.
Perhaps the most depressing section of the survey shows that incorrect perceptions of the relative harms of vaping have never been lower. A staggering 60% of people who smoke don’t know that vapes are a far healthier option.
The consequences of these inaccurate beliefs are laid bare below.
The survey shows that 1 in 4 UK citizens who smoke have never tried e-cigarettes.
The reasons for this are laid out in the table below.
What’s interesting about these objections is that they could be resolved with accurate information. For example:
If we tot up those totals, we get 51.8%. That’s right, half of all smokers could pivot towards vapes if they had accurate information. Government, media, and health bodies need to cut out the fake news.
Disposable vapes’ meteoric rise has slowed. In 2021, they made up just 2.3% of the market. However, in the following two years, that number rose to 31%. By 2024, it’s dipped to 30%.
What’s most interesting about the chart above is that disposables haven’t significantly impacted the pre-filled pod market, which has dipped just three percent in the last few years. Instead, they have eaten into the refillable mod market.
Convenience is an important part of helping people quit. Any disposable ban could slow down smoking rate declines.
While ASH is a controversial organisation in the harm reduction community, their surveys are always welcome. According to the report, there are 5.6 million vapers in the country.
However, if we want smoking rates to decline ever further, each of us needs to do our part, whether that’s petitioning your MP and the government or helping counter vaping misinformation spread by public health bodies and the media. Get involved.