Long-term vaping increases among adults in England: study

The number of adults in England who report vaping for more than six months has "increased substantially" from 2013 to 2023, a new study led by researchers from University College London (UCL) showed.

The recently published study surveyed more than 179,000 adults and found that the proportion of those reporting vaping for more than six months, who are also considered long-term vapers, increased from 1.3 percent in October 2013 to 10 percent in October 2023.

It also found that much of this increase occurred since 2021, coinciding with the rise in popularity of disposable electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes). It noted that half of long-term vapers now "mainly or exclusively" use disposable devices.

The study's lead author Sarah Jackson from the UCL Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care said that there has been "an exceptionally steep rise" in the number of young adults reporting long-term vaping since "new disposable e-cigarettes were introduced to the market."

According to the study, the prevalence of long-term vaping increased more rapidly among young adults than older adults after 2019, resulting in a strong inverse age gradient in long-term vaping, with 22.7 percent of 18-year-olds vaping compared to 4.3 percent of 65-year-olds.

The study also found that the growth in long-term vapers was mainly among people with a history of regular smoking, but an increase also occurred among people who never regularly smoked.

According to the website of Britain's National Health Service (NHS), e-cigarettes have become a popular tool for quitting smoking in the country. Although e-cigarettes are believed to be less harmful than cigarettes, they are "not completely risk-free."