A Survey By The University Of London in The UK Shows That 2.2 Million People Use E-cigarettes Among Those Who Quit Smoking, With The Highest Proportion Among Young People

A survey by the University of London in the UK shows that 2.2 million people use e-cigarettes among those who quit smoking, with the highest proportion among young people

Research from University College London shows that about one-fifth of British people who have quit smoking for more than a year are still using e-cigarettes, about 2.2 million people, and young smokers have a higher rate of e-cigarette use.

According to the University College London News Network on November 21, a study by the college showed that in the UK, about one-fifth of people who have quit smoking for more than a year are still using e-cigarettes, about 2.2 million people.

The study was funded by Cancer Research UK and published in BMC Medicine. The study found that the rise in smoking rates is largely due to the heavy use of e-cigarettes by people in an attempt to quit smoking. Among people who have already quit smoking, the use of e-cigarettes is also increasing. An estimated one in ten former smokers quit before e-cigarettes became popular in 2011, and some of these smokers had quit smoking for many years before they started using e-cigarettes.

The study examined survey data from 54,251 adults (aged 18 and over) in England between October 2013 and May 2024, who reported that they had quit smoking or tried to quit.

Sarah Jackson, lead author of the study, said: "The general increase in e-cigarette use among former smokers is in line with what we would expect given the increase in e-cigarette use in quit attempts. NHS guidance is that people should not rush to stop using e-cigarettes after quitting, but should taper off gradually to minimise the risk of relapse." "Previous research has shown that a significant proportion of people who quit with the help of e-cigarettes continue to use e-cigarettes for many months or years after successfully quitting." "However, the increase in e-cigarette use among people who have been off nicotine for many years is a concern. If this group might otherwise have returned to smoking, then e-cigarettes are much less harmful, but if they have not relapsed, they are at greater risk than if they had not smoked or vaped." In addition, the research team found that 1 in 50 people in England who had quit smoking for more than a year said they had used e-cigarettes, a figure that had steadily risen to 1 in 10 by the end of 2017. This number remained stable for several years, then rose sharply in 2021 when disposable e-cigarettes became popular, reaching one in five (an estimated 2.2 million people) by 2024.

59% of former smokers aged 18 reported using e-cigarettes more than a year after quitting in May 2024, compared with 11% of former smokers aged 65.

Senior author Lion Shahab said,

"The implications of these findings are currently unclear. Long-term e-cigarette use may increase the risk of relapse among former smokers because the behavior is similar to smoking and maintains nicotine addiction. Alternatively, it may reduce the risk of relapse by allowing people to satisfy their nicotine cravings with e-cigarettes rather than seeking out particularly harmful cigarettes. Further longitudinal research is needed to assess which option is more likely."