How does society view vaping?
In this article...
How does society view vaping? This article will cover the perceptions of vaping among smokers, how vaping is covered in the media, vaping advocates and some scientific evidence proving it can help people quit smoking. Let’s make a start demystifying vaping with the IBVTA!
Vaping and smokers
The latest Action on Smoking Health (ASH) report revealed shocking results about how smokers view vaping. It showed that 39% of adults who use tobacco products believe that e-cigarettes are just as harmful, if not more so than smoking. Also, 54% of 11-17 year olds who smoke believe the same. This is a huge rise from 2019 when only 22% of adults and 34% of underage perceived vaping as harmful [1].
Vaping in the media
Despite the support of vaping by the UK government, the NHS and Cancer Research UK, the media as a whole remains generally negative about e-cigarettes. In fact, between 2017 and 2020, cynical news stories skyrocketed from 12.6% to 34.2% in England and 18% to 64.6% in the USA [2].
In 2022, Michael Landl of the World Vapers Alliance monitored global news stories over 1 week and found that 41% of them were negative and only 29% were positive [3]. Closer to home, E-cigclick did a 6 month review of the UK media including sources such as the Daily Mail, The Guardian, BBC, ITV News and The Sun. They found that 53% were negative and only 15% were positive [4]. This is not going to help thesociety view vaping and will hinder the ability of it to help those who need it most.
Vaping advocates
Even though the number of negative articles remains high, there are influencers and organisations that are behind vaping, actively promoting increased safety vs. smoking. With their passion and dedication,society view vaping can change if their voices are heard. Complimenting the campaign for demystifying vaping by the IBVTA, there are plenty of smoking cessation advocates.
Totally Wicked and TECC
Obviously, The Electronic Cigarette Company and our sister company, Totally Wicked, actively advocate smoking cessation. Through blogs, YouTube, Reddit, and contact on our website, TECC.co.uk are always eager to help smokers make the switch to vaping.
Totally Wicked works closely with NHS stop smoking services to help support quit attempts. Such as in 2021 when it supplied 5 NHS hospitals with kits and a week’s supply of e-liquid to help smokers make the switch to a safer alternative [5].
Action on Smoking Health
ASH are a UK-based organisation that is passionate about smoking cessation. They use their dedicated team of tobacco policy experts to provide accurate information about quitting and even provide advice at government levels. Also, they’re funded by both Cancer Research UK and the British Heart Foundation [6].
IBVTA
The Independent British Vape Trade Association (IBVTA) are a collection of vaping manufacturers and distributors that seek to promote vaping as a credible stop smoking tool. As stated on their website “The IBVTA is supported by a dedicated committee made up of engineers, chemists, and pharmacists”.
Recently Marcus Saxton, IBVTA chair and CEO of TECC, attended a call to evidence at parliament to represent the vaping sector. Along with a member of ASH, they advised the government about the growing number of youth vapers.
The NHS
The National Health Service (NHS) actively promote vaping as a safer alternative to smoking. They highlight how it’s much less harmful and is one of the most effective cessation tools. Plus, they state that “You’re roughly twice as likely to quit smoking if you use a nicotine vape compared with other nicotine replacement products, like patches or gum” [7].
Cancer Research UK
Cancer Research UK are another organisation that actively promotes the health benefits of vaping. Not only do they support groups like ASH, but their website contains helpful advice about e-cigarettes. One key benefit they highlight is the cost comparison as seen in the image below [8].
Influencers
For people who prefer to watch content rather than read it, there are plenty of Vloggers who actively support vaping. One great example is Nicholas ‘Grimm’ Green, who produces content for popular platforms like YouTube. Nick is a keen vaping advocate and discusses products and news stories that support it. He states on his website “Vaping is going to save billions of lives in this century; Literally all of the science shows this. Vaping is the consumer created solution to the smoking problem”.
The science
Despite the negative media and inaccurate beliefs held by society, there are plenty of studies and scientific evidence that support it.
ASH reports
ASH produce annual reports about various topics that are vape-related. Their latest one explores the use of e-cigarettes among adults in the UK. One key finding from this report is the number of vapers who have successfully quit smoking. The number of adult vapers in Great Britain has increased to 4.7 million, with 2.7 million (about 57%) being ex-smokers [1].
Cochrane Library
The Cochrane Library is a large collection of medical and scientific studies. There are plenty of vaping related content in the collection that highlights the benefits of vaping. One such study by Jamie Hartmann-Boyce (2022) shows that people are more likely to stop smoking for at least six months using vapes [9].
Hollings Cancer Center (US)
There is a heated debate on whether e-cigarettes are effective for quitting smoking, with varying approaches taken by different countries. But, a recent study completed by Matthew Carpenter of the MUSC Hollings Cancer Center verifies that it does. According to the study, individuals who used e-cigarettes were more likely to completely quit smoking traditional cigarettes. They also reported reducing the number of cigarettes they smoked per day and the number of times they attempted to quit. This is significant since most people require multiple attempts before successfully quitting smoking [10][11].
In conclusion
The mainstream media would lead you to believe that vaping is bad. This has a knock-on effect on smokers who incorrectly believe it’s just as or more harmful than combustible tobacco. If the government truly supports vaping, then this needs to change. The advice and promotion by vaping advocates needs to be heard, as scientific evidence exists to prove that it’s a valid and proven stop smoking aid. Luckily, there’s hope thanks to the campaign for demystifying vaping by the IBVTA.
If you have any questions or want help making the switch, feel free to contact us.
Sources
[1] Action on Smoking Health. (2023). Headline results ASH Smokefree GB adults and youth survey results 2023.
[2] East, K et al. (2022). Exposure to Negative News Stories About Vaping, and Harm Perceptions of Vaping, Among Youth in England, Canada, and the United States Before and After the Outbreak of E-cigarette or Vaping-Associated Lung Injury (‘EVALI’).
[3] Landl, M. (2022). How biased is the media about vaping?
[4] Ecigclick. (2022). UK News Media Mainly Negative About Vaping - 6 Month Study Results!
[5] Eccles, J. (2021). NHS actively delivers e-cigarettes as a key smoking cessation tool.
[6] Action on Smoking Health. Who we work with.
[7] NHS. Vaping to quit smoking.
[8] Cancer Research UK. Is vaping harmful?
[9] Hartmann-Boyce, J et al. (2022). Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation.
[10] Cantu, L. (2023). Largest US study of e-cigarettes shows their value as smoking cessation aid.
[11] Carpenter, M J. (2023). Effect of unguided e-cigarette provision on uptake, use, and smoking cessation among adults who smoke in the USA: a naturalistic, randomised, controlled clinical trial.
