Smoking is the most prevalent cause of premature death worldwide. In 2019 alone, 64,000 people in England died due to smoking, and while the number of smokers in the U.K has gone down, 6.1 of them are still in England. Richmond and Thames have a smoking prevalence of 8%, while Blackpool and Kingston are at 23.4% and 22.2%, respectively. Others have said that smoking has caused more premature deaths than the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.K.
Vaping helps people quit smoking
Experts suggest that approving e-cigarettes can help the country deal with the differences in smoking prevalence. People who use e-cigarettes are the most successful when it comes to smoking cessation. Data shows that about 68% of them were able to quit between 2020 and 2021.
Since 2020, people trying to quit smoking in England have shown a preference for e-cigarettes. About 27% of smokers prefer vaping, and 18% use other nicotine replacement products such as patches and gum.
Vaping is safer than smoking
Studies have shown that vaping can help people quit nicotine addiction. It helps with their craving while allowing them to transition from smoking slowly. Moreover, using e-cigarettes is safer than smoking tobacco as users inhale nicotine in vapor form rather than smoke. It also eliminates the burning of tobacco; hence harmful products like tar and carbon monoxide are not produced.
Experts are now suggesting that vaping should be approved. This move would allow doctors to prescribe e-cigarettes to their patients to help them quit. If this happens, England will be the first country to have medically approved vaping.
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has set up guidelines that e-cigarette manufactures can follow before submitting their products for approval. In the past, manufacturers could apply for a medical license. However, only one company gained authorization from the agency, although the maker canceled it. Fortunately, the new guidance gives more details on how to obtain a license.
Actions on Smoking and Health reports that about 3.6 million adults in Great Britain use e-cigarettes. From this number, 2.4 million used to be smokers.
Scientists know little about the long-term effects of vaping. Despite this, experts agree that it is safer than smoking. Despite this, they do not recommend it to non-smokers and children.
