Vaping Increases Globally
Newly published GSTHR research shows significant rise in global number of vapers as UK Government cements support for vaping in smoking cessation
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by Dave Cross
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The new peer-reviewed paper published this week in Drugs, Habits and Social Policy estimates there are now 82 million vapers worldwide. The GSTHR project, from Knowledge•Action•Change (K•A•C), a UK public health agency, found that the total for 2021 represents a 20% increase on the figure for 2020 (68 million).
Vaping offers a significantly safer alternative for the 1 billion people around the world who continue to smoke. Each year, there are eight million smoking-related deaths worldwide. The growth in the number of vapers, most of whom will have swapped smoking for vaping, is therefore a hugely positive step in efforts to reduce the harms of combustible cigarettes and hasten the end of smoking.
In the UK, smoking prevalence has fallen to its lowest level on record – a public health win significantly aided by the Government’s acceptance of vaping as an effective cessation tool, and strong regulatory measures that protect consumer safety.
The UK’s support of vaping for tobacco harm reduction is in sharp contrast to the situation in many countries, however. GSTHR data shows that vapes are banned in 36 countries, and in a further 84 countries there is a regulatory and legislative vacuum. Millions of smokers who want to switch to much safer vaping cannot do so, or may be forced to purchase potentially unsafe products on black or grey markets, due to bans, or poor or non-existent product regulation.
The GSTHR research shows that despite restrictive regulations or bans in many countries, increasing numbers of people are choosing to switch to safer alternatives to combustible tobacco, and along with other countries like New Zealand, the UK offers strong evidence that positive government messaging about vaping for tobacco harm reduction can hasten reductions in smoking prevalence. But an international meeting on tobacco control later this year could jeopardise global progress on reducing smoking-related death and disease through tobacco harm reduction.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) remains opposed to the use of safer nicotine products for smoking cessation, despite supporting harm reduction in other areas of public health such as substance use and HIV/AIDS prevention. This November, the 182 countries that are Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) will meet at the Tenth Conference of the Parties (COP10) in Panama City. Discussions about safer nicotine products are expected to take place at this meeting - and it is likely that the position of the World Health Organization will be influential.
Commenting on the research, one of the paper’s two authors, Professor Gerry Stimson, Director of K•A•C and Emeritus Professor at Imperial College London, said: “The updated Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction estimate suggests that there are now 82 million people worldwide who vape, proving that consumers find these products attractive. As evidenced in the UK, millions are making the switch from smoking. Safer nicotine products give the world’s 1 billion smokers the chance to quit using alternatives that pose significantly fewer risks to their health.
“Last week’s announcement of the ‘Swap to Stop’ scheme from the UK Government cements the country’s leading position in tobacco harm reduction. But the Government must now take this leadership onto the global stage, and advocate for tobacco harm reduction at the FCTC COP10 in Panama this November. Failure to do so will be counted in the many millions of lives that will continue to be lost each year to smoking.”
The updated calculation in the GSTHR paper, written by Professor Stimson and GSTHR Data Scientist Tomasz Jerzyński, was made possible by the release of a range of new data including the 2021 Eurobarometer 506 survey. The figure of 82 million vapers is based on 49 countries that have produced viable survey results on vaping prevalence.
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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