Survey Says
A new survey conducted by GoSmokeFree.co.uk has looked at vapers’ attitudes and buying decisions
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by Dave Cross
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Cigarette smoking holds a vice-like grip over most tobacco users. Smokers experience multiple attempts to quit during their time with cigarettes, frequently failing or relapsing to smoking afterwards. All of this changed when electronic cigarettes burst onto the scene.
Traditional approaches to smoking cessation such as patches, sprays and gums were offered to smokers, but most clung on to attempting to quit by going cold turkey. Vaping offered something that replicated the act of smoking, lower cost, reduced levels of harm and, most importantly, delivered nicotine sufficiently to meet need and reduce smokers experiencing nicotine withdrawal.
GoSmokeFree.co.uk asked 400 people what they thought the best method to quit smoking is. A quarter of all respondents said that vaping is the best method to escape tobacco addiction. National research from University College London has shown that e-cigs are the most popular quit method in England.
Oddly, a third of respondents said the best approach was the use of traditional nicotine replacement therapies and a further 23% believed cold turkey worked. One fifteenth of replies said they think mindfulness and hypnotherapy is the way forward!
Around half of those responding feel smokers should contribute more towards the cost of treating smoking-related diseases. Taxation on tobacco products is already high and some might see this as a regressive step, preferring to promote vaping more widely and countering the spread of disinformation about relative risks.
Two thirds agreed that vaping products should be available on a tax-free basis. This would encourage more smokers to make the switch although it is unlikely that the government will remove VAT on ecigs and this has not played a part in discussions about the impending legislation changes.
Almost 2/5s agreed that starter kits should be available on the NHS for free. Although the process to make ecigs prescribable has been made clearer, there are no authorised products at the moment and no company has made an application.
Of the benefits of vaping, 42% said that making the switch resulted in them feeling healthier, 24% said they were now saving money, 19% were happy that they had reduced their harm exposure by eliminating the toxins found in cigarette smoke, and 7% said they experienced fewer side effects from vaping compared to smoking.
Well over two thirds replied to say that the government had not done enough to encourage smokers to quit by switching to vaping and a further third believe that all tobacco products should be banned.
Over half of vapers are loyal to the brand they currently use and two-fifths said they advocate switching to vaping to smokers.
A third of vapers say they are influenced by online reviews and social media influencers, but 80% say influencers do not do enough to promote the benefits of vaping.
References:
- GoSmokeFree - https://www.gosmokefree.co.uk/
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.
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