The number of young people vaping has tripled in two years, but smoking continues to decline, a new study shows.
Researchers from University College London (UCL) said the use of disposable vapes among people aged 18 to 24 is driving the use of highly addictive nicotine in England.
And although experts said vaporizers are better than smoking, they warned that they are not without risks and should not be used by those who have never smoked.
The study, funded by Cancer Research UK, analyzed vaping and smoking data from 132,252 people in England from July 2016 to May 2023.
Researchers wanted to examine changes in vaping and smoking before and after disposables became popular in June 2021.
Colorful, candy-flavored disposable vaporizers are marketed to young people and their use among this group has tripled in two years.
Unregulated disposable vaporizers can be sold in candy stores, novelty stores, and even toy stores.
Vaporizers come in many different flavors, including this one in ‘juicy peach’
Disposable vapes are usually sold in shiny packaging and come in a variety of flavors including pineapple ice cream and cherry cola.
The study found that, in England up to June 2021, smoking and vaping had remained stable or decreasing across all age groups.
“However, since disposable vaping began to become popular, vaping has increased in all age groups, especially in younger adults (ages 18 to 24),” he said.
The proportion of young people who said they vaped tripled during the period, rising from nine percent in May 2021 to 29 percent in May 2023.
Smoking in this age group decreased from 25 percent to 21 percent, but overall nicotine use increased from 28 percent to 35 percent.
In older age groups, the prevalence of vaping increased from five percent to six percent among those over 45, while smoking also increased from 12 percent to 14 percent.
The increase in vaping was greatest among people who had never smoked, rising from two percent to nine percent in 18- to 24-year-olds.
As of February, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has recorded a total of 1,009 reactions to vaporizers. Here are the 10 most common reports.
Overall, the researchers said that after disposable products became popular in 2021, the odds of people saying they vaped increased 99 percent per year among 18- to 24-year-olds, compared to 39 percent per year. percent among people ages 25 to 44. and 23 percent in those 45 years or older.
The team concluded: “Since disposable vaporizers began to become popular in England, historic declines in nicotine use have been reversed.
“Now, nicotine use appears to be increasing, driven primarily by sharp increases in vaping among youth.
‘The decline in smoking has been most pronounced in the age groups with the largest increases in vaping.
“Urgent action is needed to curb the rise of disposable vaping among people who would otherwise avoid nicotine altogether.
“This could include an excise tax, restrictions on packaging or placing vaporizers behind store counters.”
Lead author Dr Harry Tattan-Birch, from University College London (UCL), said: “The rapid rise in vaping would be less worrying if smoking rates had fallen more rapidly.”
‘The overall increase in nicotine use shows that this has not happened.
‘Instead, driven by the arrival of the hugely popular disposable e-cigarettes, vaping has become much more common among young people, some of whom would probably have avoided nicotine altogether.
“Given these findings, the UK Government’s current Tobacco and Vaping Bill to reduce vaping among young people is welcome.”
Lead author Dr Sarah Jackson, also from UCL, said: “While action is needed to counter the rise in vaping among young people who would not otherwise use nicotine, policies should avoid pointing out that e-cigarettes are a worse alternative to smoking tobacco.
“Vaping may not be risk-free, but smoking is uniquely lethal.
‘It is also crucial that policies designed to make e-cigarettes less attractive to young people do not make these products less effective in helping people quit smoking.
“Measures targeting the appearance, packaging and marketing of vaping products rather than their flavors and nicotine content may be most effective in achieving this balance.”
Dr Ian Walker, executive director of policy at Cancer Research UK, said: “This study shows a worrying increase in the number of young adults using vapes since disposables hit the market in the UK.
‘The evidence to date shows that vapes are much less harmful than cigarettes, but they cannot be considered risk-free and certainly should not fall into the hands of children or those who have never smoked.
“It is encouraging to see a continued decline in smoking rates, but we cannot become complacent – smoking remains the leading cause of cancer in the UK and it is vital that we protect the next generation from a lifetime of addiction.
“All parties must ensure the world-leading Tobacco and E-Cigarettes Bill is passed in Parliament before the government is dissolved ahead of the general election.”
The tobacco and e-cigarette bill would make it illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone born on or after January 1, 2009.
It also aims to reduce vaping among young people through stricter controls.
However, unless it becomes law before parliament is dissolved ahead of the July 4 general election, it will be shelved until a new government is formed.
Both the Conservatives and Labor have said they will revive the bill if they come to power.
The study on vaping was published in the journal Lancet Regional Health – Europe.
It comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) published a report saying vapes and other new tobacco and nicotine products “present a serious threat to young people and tobacco control”.
Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, said: “History repeats itself, as the tobacco industry tries to sell the same nicotine to our children in different packaging.
‘These industries are actively targeting schools, children and young people with new products that are essentially a candy-flavoured trap.
‘How can they talk about harm reduction when they market these dangerous and highly addictive products to children?’
Dr Ruediger Krech, director of health promotion at WHO, said: “The use of child-friendly flavors such as cotton candy and bubble gum, combined with stylish and colorful designs that look like toys, is an attempt blatant attempt to turn young people into addicts to these harmful products.