More Brits than ever are making the switch from smoking to vaping, according to new figures. Ernst & Young recently conducted research into the topic, and found one smoker makes the change to vaping every four minutes. That holds true for the period since 2013.
The research also revealed 4.2% of Brits identify themselves as vapers. This is the highest figure in the whole of Europe, way ahead of France, where the next-highest figure is 3%.
Fewer smokers than ever in Britain
The Office for National Statistics has also revealed the total number of smokers in Britain has dropped to its lowest level ever. Data began to be gathered in 1974, and 2015 saw 17.2% of adults smoking. This is down by nearly 3% in five years, from 20.1% in 2010.
Data also reveals e-cigarette users are on the up. Some 2.3 million people across England, Scotland and Wales currently vape. Half of those people were vaping to help them try to quit smoking – a huge figure and heartening to those who are trying to encourage the habit as a method for quitting tobacco smoking.
Perhaps most interesting of all is the reduction in smoking among the 18-24 age group. The research found 20.7% of people in this age group are smoking – and this is 5% lower than it was five years ago. Is this because some have gone on to vape instead, or they simply haven’t started smoking in the first place?
Whichever way you look at it, the figures make promising reading. The rise of vaping in recent years has provided a real alternative for those who are trying to stop smoking. It will be interesting to see whether the number of smokers drops further, and vaping continues to rise.
