In the past five years, nearly 3 million people in the United Kingdom (UK) have successfully quit smoking by switching to vapes, according to new data from the partially government-funded health charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH). Vaping has become the most popular tool for those trying to quit smoking. A recent survey by ASH found that 5.6 million adults in Britain currently vape, with over half of them having quit smoking entirely. However, about 39% of vapers still smoke occasionally and 8% have never smoked at all.The study found that over half of the people who kicked the smoking habit in the past five years turned to vaping, which is approximately 2.7 million people. Nearly a third of those who quit smoking with vaping have also managed to quit vaping. The average time spent vaping was around a year.This data shows just how important vaping has been in helping people kick the smoking habit in recent years.ASH is concerned about the growing popularity of vaping among teens and is urging the UK government to introduce stricter regulations. They have proposed a Tobacco and Vapes Bill.ASH emphasized that any new regulations should not make it harder for people to use vapes as a way to quit smoking.Despite the growing evidence that vaping is a much safer alternative to smoking, many people still believe it's equally harmful, which is a misconception among the general public."Millions of people have used vapes to successfully stop smoking in recent years, increasing healthy life expectancy and improving the nation’s productivity,” said Hazel Cheeseman, Deputy Chief Executive of ASH.“Tougher vape regulations are urgently needed, but it is important they are calibrated to address youth vaping while not deterring use of vapes as quitting aids."The success stories of Michael Hughes and Paul highlight the positive impact vaping can have on people's lives and their ability to quit smoking. Hughes started smoking at eight years old and managed to quit after almost 50 years of smoking. With the help of a vape, he has been smoke-free for over a year and has noticed significant health improvements. Paul, a National Health Service research nurse from Yorkshire, also credits vaping with helping him quit smoking after many failed attempts.Health experts are also supporting the use of vapes as a quitting aid. "In the last few years, almost all the patients I see who manage to quit smoking do so through vaping and without it, I fear many of them would not have," said Prof. Sanjay Agrawal, a consultant in respiratory and critical care medicine.Experts from King's College London and University College London have analyzed the new data and confirmed that vaping is a powerful tool for helping people quit smoking."The latest ASH results underline the important role e-cigarettes play in helping smokers stop, being used in half of successful quit attempts," said Professor Lion Shahab from the University College London.The survey also found that while vaping is helping many ex-smokers avoid returning to cigarettes, there is a growing number of people who have never smoked but are now vaping. ASH warns that long-term vaping among people who would not otherwise smoke should be avoided.“The 2024 ASH data show vaping among adults has increased in the past year and the main reasons for vaping are to quit, reduce, or remain abstinent from smoking. The majority of adults who have quit smoking in Great Britain used a vape in their last quit attempt,” said Doctor Katherine East, King’s College London.“Quitting smoking is one of the best things a person who smokes can do for their health and the latest ASH data show the importance that vapes can have on this journey.”
