UKVIA’s 10 Vaping Truths

The UK Vaping Industry Association says: “Misperceptions about vaping have never been higher and public trust in the stop smoking tool never lower. According to the latest data from Action on Smoking and Health, half of Great Britain’s adult smokers wrongly and worryingly believe vapes are as or more harmful when compared with cigarettes – up from 39% in 2023.”

Vaping Truths Fact 1

• Vaping poses a ‘small fraction of the risks’ of smoking – it is ‘at least 95% less harmful’ than combustible tobacco. - The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), 2022

Vaping Truths Fact 2

• More than 5.1 million adults in Great Britain have already used vaping to cut down on or stop smoking. - Action on Smoking and Health UK (ASH), 2024

Vaping Truths Fact 3

• Nicotine e-cigarettes are amongst the most effective stop smoking aids available. - Cochrane Review, research by University of Oxford, 2023

Vaping Truths Fact 4

• Almost 95% of adult vapers in Great Britain are former or current smokers – over half have been vaping for three years or more. - Action on Smoking and Health UK (ASH), 2024

Vaping Truths Fact 5

• There is ‘no good evidence’ that vaping causes cancer - nicotine DOES NOT cause by cancer. - Cancer Research UK, 2023

Vaping Truths Fact 6

• Almost one third of surveyed vapers say they do so because it is ‘cheaper than smoking’. - HMRC, ‘Understanding the Vaping Market’, 2023

Vaping Truths Fact 7

• Flavours are critical for adult vapers and almost half (47%) prefer fruit options. - Action on Smoking and Health UK (ASH), 2024

Vaping Truths Fact 8

• Vaping is NOT a proven gateway to smoking. - ASH UK, ‘Addressing Common Myths About Vaping’, 2023

Vaping Truths Fact 9

• Legal vaping products DO NOT cause EVALI or popcorn lung - both are caused by chemicals which are banned for e-cigarettes in the UK. - Cancer Research UK, 2023

Vaping Truths Fact 10

• A vape licensing scheme could generate £50m+ in annual, self-sustaining funding which could be used to empower Trading Standards. - Retail and Distributor Licensing Framework for the Vape Sector

References:

• The UK Vaping Industry Association’s 10 Vaping Truths Factsheet

Photo Credit:

• Photo by E-Liquids UK on Unsplash, cropped and resized, UKVIA logo added

Dave Cross

Journalist at POTV

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Dave 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.