October 2, 2024

expert reaction to study of vaping trends among adults in England

A study published in The Lancet Public Health looks at vaping trends in adults who have never regularly smoked.

Prof Peter Hajek, Professor of Clinical Psychology and Director of the Health and Lifestyle Research Unit, Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), said:

“Some people have genes and circumstances leading them to like nicotine products. Traditionally, they ended up smoking, but some are now discovering vaping without becoming smokers first. If vaping did not exist, they would be smoking. The study authors point this out.

“The just-released figures from the Office for National Statistics show that UK smoking prevalence is under 12%, an all-time low. If much less risky alternatives are allowed to continue to compete with cigarettes, smoking (and heart disease, lung disease and cancers that it causes) will continue to decline as well. 

“The UK and USA, which allow vaping, have seen significantly faster declines in cigarette sales and in smoking among young and low income people than Australia, which bans vaping.  Sweden, which is the only EU country that allows use of low-risk oral tobacco, has by far the lowest smoking prevalence.  Efforts are needed to limit use of nicotine products in adolescents but if more adults (as well as adolescents) are taking up vaping instead of smoking it may in fact be good news.”

‘Vaping among adults in England who have never regularly smoked: a population-based study, 2016-24’ by Sarah Jackson et al. was published in The Lancet Public Health at 23.30 UK time Wednesday 2 October 2024.

Declared interests

Peter Hajek: no COIs