“We will keep a close watch on young
people’s vaping and smoking habits to
ensure we stay on track to achieve our
ambition of a smoke-free generation.”
– Public Health England
Young people in Britain may not be vaping at such a
rate as some previously thought.
That’s according to a recently published independent report
led by researchers at King’s College London, commissioned
by Public Health England (PHE).
The report is the first in a series of three commissioned by
PHE under the Government’s Tobacco Control Plan for
England.
It examined the use of e-cigarettes rather than health impacts
of vaping.
Among the findings, the report shows regular e-cigarette
use among adults has plateaued over recent years.
It also shows vaping as a practice remains largely confined
to smokers and ex-smokers, with ‘quitting smoking’ cited
as the main motivation for adult vapers.
Whilst many online reports in mainstream media claim British
teens are going the way of American high schoolers, the findings
from King’s College London show that while experimentation
with e-cigarettes among young people has increased in
recent years, regular use remains low.
“Only 1.7 percent of under-18s use e-cigarettes weekly or
more, and the vast majority of those also smoke.”
Among young people who have never smoked, only 0.2
percent use e-cigarettes regularly, according to the report.
While underage use of e-cigarettes is never recommended,
this study purports the buzz around this issue in the media
might be hyperbole at this current stage.
In a press release, Professor John Newton, Health Improvement
Director at PHE said:
“In contrast to recent media reports in the US, we are not
seeing a surge in e-cigarette use among young people in
Britain.
“While more young people are experimenting with
e-cigarettes, the crucial point is that regular use remains
low and is very low indeed among those who have never
smoked.
“We will keep a close watch on young people’s vaping and
smoking habits to ensure we stay on track to achieve our
ambition of a smoke-free generation.”
Professor Ann McNeill is Professor of Tobacco Addiction
at King’s College London. She was also the lead author
of the report, and she said:
“We are encouraged that regular vaping among young
people in Britain who have never smoked remains low.
However, we need to stay vigilant and in particular closely
monitor youth smoking.
“With just over a third of adult smokers having never
tried an e-cigarette, there is a clear opportunity for more
smokers to try a method which has helped many others
to quit. Smokers should be advised to stop smoking as
soon as possible and explore all available options for
support, including e-cigarettes.”
This first PHE report in conjunction with the Tobacco
Control Plan for England recommends that Stop Smoking
Services should do more to encourage smokers that want
to quit with the help of an e-cigarette.
PHE says smoking rates in young people have plateaued in
recent years, while smoking rates among adults “continue
to fall, with just under 15 percent of adults in England
smoking,” according to government figures.
Meanwhile a major UK clinical trial, published recently
found e-cigarettes may be twice as effective in smoking
cessation than conventional methods such as patches or
gum, when combined with face-to-face support.
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