A new study found that about one million adults in England who never smoked regularly now use e-cigarettes.The University College London (UCL) study looked at data from 153,073 adults in England between 2016 and 2024.It showed that vaping rates among non-smokers stayed low at 0.5% from 2016 to 2020. This statistic changed in 2021 when disposable vapes became popular.By April 2024, one in 28 non-smokers in England vaped. The increase mainly was among young adults and people who drank large amounts of alcoholic beverages..UK vaping ban pushes users back to cigarettes, study finds.The study found that one in seven people aged 18 to 24 who never smoked regularly now used e-cigarettes. More people have also started by using disposable vaping devices."These findings are a reminder that action is required to try to minimize vaping among young people," said Jamie Brown, UCL professor and co-author of the study. "Banning disposables, as the UK government currently plans, is unlikely to fix the issue as popular brands have already launched reusable products with very similar designs and prices."E-cigarettes do not contain tobacco, which causes cancer. However, they have nicotine and are not risk-free. Vaping can cause nausea, vomiting, mouth and airway irritation, chest pain, and heart palpitations.Some adults use vaping to quit smoking cigarettes, which are more harmful."A sensible next step would be to introduce stricter regulation around product appearance, packaging and marketing," said Brown.This study was published in Lancet Public Health.
