The number of people using high-powered vaporizers has increased almost 10-fold in just three years, research shows.
A third of vapers used high-strength nicotine in January this year, compared to just 3.8 percent on average between July 2016 and June 2021.
The biggest increase was among 18- to 24-year-olds, with more than half now using the more powerful e-cigarettes.
Large increases were also seen in older age groups and among current smokers and recent former smokers, according to the University College London study.
Researchers analyzed responses to a survey of 7,314 adult vapers in England between 2016 and 2024 to see how use of different nicotine strengths had changed over that period.
The biggest increase was among 18- to 24-year-olds, with more than half now using the more powerful e-cigarettes.
To assess the most current use of nicotine concentrations between 2022 and 2024, the researchers also analyzed survey data from Wales and Scotland.
The team classified e-liquids containing 20 mg/ml of nicotine or more as high potency, which is the legal limit in the UK.
The UK Government has proposed establishing three categories of tax on e-liquids: the lowest applies to liquids without nicotine and the highest applies to e-liquids containing 11 mg/ml or more of nicotine.
The researchers found that vapers who used disposable e-cigarettes tended to use more potent nicotine.
Lead author Dr Sarah Jackson said: “The timing of the rise in popularity of high-strength vaporisers coincided with the introduction of new disposable vaporisers, many of which contain e-liquids with nicotine concentrations on the high end. of the legal limit (20 mg/ml).
“Disposable vaporizers are particularly popular among younger vapers, so it is not surprising to see a greater increase in the use of high-concentration e-liquids among 18- to 24-year-olds.”
With plans to ban disposable vaporizers, experts warned that heavy-duty versions could easily be replaced with reusable models.
The study also found an increase in the proportion of vapers who used disposable devices and pods and who did not know how strong their nicotine-containing e-liquid was.
In an article in Addiction magazine, they suggest that better labeling is needed to ensure that nicotine strength is clear to consumers.
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Despite the “sharp increase,” researchers warned against taxing vaporizers based on their potency, adding that it could cause more harm.
Dr Sharon Cox, from the UCL Institute of Epidemiology and Healthcare, said: “Taxing products based on nicotine strength may also result in people using a lower, cheaper strength and vaping more, as a person with nicotine dependence will alter their behavior to obtain the required dose of nicotine in their system Therefore, it may increase the amount of liquid used and the exposure of vapers to possible toxicants.’
Deborah Arnott, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) and co-author of the study, said: “The best way to curb underage vaping is to make all vaporizers less attractive and increase the price at the point of purchase. sale, whatever its nicotine level. content.
“Those are the policies that will be most effective in preventing children from starting to vape.”
