All You Need to Know About E-cigarettes: Safety, Quitting, and Youth in the UK

E-cigarettes, also known as vapes, are being promoted in England as part of the government’s efforts to help people quit smoking tobacco while cracking down on youth vaping. While they are a popular alternative to traditional cigarettes, many people are still unsure about their safety. In this article, we will explore everything you need to know about e-cigarettes and whether or not they are safe.

What are e-cigarettes?

E-cigarettes work by heating a liquid to produce a vapor that can be inhaled. The liquid typically contains nicotine, as well as chemicals like propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, and flavorings. There are a variety of e-cigarettes on sale in the UK, but they generally work in a similar way.

The use of vapes is on the rise in the UK, and while most adults who vape are current or former smokers, there are concerns about children using them. According to a 2022 survey carried out by YouGov for the charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), almost 16% of 11 to 17-year-olds had tried vaping, compared with just over 11% in 2021 and almost 14% in 2020.

Are vapes safe?

The safety of vaping depends on the context. In the UK, vaping is regulated far more rigorously than in the US, where there have been concerns about lung disease and deaths associated with the liquids used in certain vapes. However, e-cigarettes are not completely risk-free.

E-cigarettes play a key role in the government’s efforts to reduce smoking rates in England to 5% or less by 2030. They often contain nicotine, but they do not produce tar or carbon monoxide, which can cause lung disease and cancer, as traditional cigarettes do. ASH also notes that vapes are a more effective quitting aid for tobacco smokers than nicotine patches or gum.

But many, including ASH, say the devices are not recommended for children and non-smokers. The liquid and vapor contain some potentially harmful chemicals also found in cigarette smoke, but at a much lower level. There are also concerns that young people and non-smokers could become addicted to nicotine through the use of e-cigarettes.

What has the government announced?

The UK government intends to boost the uptake of e-cigarettes among smokers while reducing it among children. One announcement is that about a million smokers in England are to be offered a free vaping starter pack in a “swap to stop” scheme. The government will provide funding, and local authorities will be able to tailor the initiative to their needs and control how they prioritize populations.

The government has also announced that it will offer vouchers and behavioral support by the end of next year to all pregnant women who smoke tobacco. This initiative is hoped to cut the risk of miscarriages and stillbirths and reduce the number of babies born with health problems. At the same time, it is providing £3m to create a specialized “illicit vapes enforcement squad”. The unit, led by Trading Standards, will be tasked with tackling the sale of banned vapes and underage sales.

What do experts make of the new plans?

On the whole, charities and scientists have backed the announcements, which appear to be based on some, but not all, of the suggestions in the Khan review on making smoking obsolete, published last year. Experts have emphasized that e-cigarettes are appreciably safer than conventional cigarettes, but measures are needed to prevent youth uptake.

Prof Peter Hajek, the director of the tobacco dependence research unit at Queen Mary University of London, welcomed the rollout of the devices for helping people to quit. He said, “Vaping and other low-risk nicotine products have a potential to practically eradicate smoking-related death and disease.

This new step is a sensible, pragmatic, and science-based initiative and good news for public health.” He also noted that young non-smokers who experiment with vaping very rarely progress to daily use, and that vaping has much lower addictive potential than cigarettes.

Alan Boobis, emeritus professor of toxicology at Imperial College London, also stressed that e-cigarettes were appreciably safer than conventional cigarettes, but that measures were needed to prevent youth uptake. “The most recent studies support a role for vaping in helping smokers to quit, and hence I think the government’s initiative is a good idea as part of a broader range of measures to reduce the burden of ill health caused by smoking,” he said.

In conclusion, e-cigarettes are a popular alternative to traditional cigarettes and play a key role in the UK government’s efforts to reduce smoking rates. While they are safer than traditional cigarettes, they are not completely risk-free, and measures are needed to prevent youth uptake. The government’s recent announcements regarding e-cigarettes have been welcomed by experts and could help to reduce smoking-related illness and death.

FAQs:

1. What are the potential risks associated with e-cigarettes? While e-cigarettes are generally safer than traditional cigarettes, the liquid and vapor contain some potentially harmful chemicals also found in cigarette smoke, but at a much lower level. There are also concerns that young people and non-smokers could become addicted to nicotine through the use of e-cigarettes.
2. How do e-cigarettes help smokers quit? E-cigarettes often contain nicotine, but they do not produce tar or carbon monoxide, which can cause lung disease and cancer, as traditional cigarettes do. ASH also notes that vapes are a more effective quitting aid for tobacco smokers than nicotine patches or gum.
3. Are e-cigarettes suitable for children and non-smokers? Many, including ASH, say the devices are not recommended for children and non-smokers because they are not completely risk-free.
4. What has the UK government announced regarding e-cigarettes? The UK government intends to boost the uptake of e-cigarettes among smokers while reducing it among children. The government will provide funding for a “swap to stop” scheme, offer vouchers and behavioral support to pregnant women who smoke tobacco, and create a specialized “illicit vapes enforcement squad” to tackle the sale of banned vapes and underage sales.
5. What do experts think of the UK government’s plans for e-cigarettes? Charities and scientists have generally backed the announcements, which appear to be based on some, but not all, of the suggestions in the Khan review on making smoking obsolete. Experts have emphasized that e-cigarettes are appreciably safer than conventional cigarettes, but measures are needed to prevent youth uptake.