Vaping now in the majority in the United Kingdom

According to the 2020 Eurobarometer, the number of smokers in the United Kingdom has been falling for more than 5 years. The number of vapers, by contrast, keeps rising. After the vaping phenomenon in France, here is how the United Kingdom and Scotland became the first pioneers of vaping in Europe.

A strong campaign in favour of vaping

The British public authorities have always strongly encouraged the use of e-cigarettes. Many initiatives have been launched by the authorities, but Stoptober, the month without tobacco, is the one that had the greatest effect. The arrival of the electronic cigarette then acted as a significant lever. For 5 years, the number of smokers has been falling steadily in the country, as it has in Scotland.

In 2019, around 3 million adult smokers had switched to the e-cigarette. The health authorities are full of praise on the subject and encourage smokers to give up tobacco in favour of vaping.

Very strict e-liquid production in the country reinforces consumer confidence. Brexit itself did nothing to threaten the standing of vaping there. If the trend continues, the United Kingdom could become the first country to have eradicated tobacco altogether in the near future.

Few returns to tobacco, according to the studies

The health authorities have found that smokers turning to the e-cigarette almost never go back to tobacco. According to a study carried out by 4 researchers and published in the journal Addiction, giving up cigarettes is twice as frequent among vapers as among smokers who try to stop outright.

Vaping has thus become a way of prompting smokers to cut down, then stop cigarettes in favour of the electronic cigarette, and to do so without any substitute. In the United Kingdom, the second largest vaping market after the United States, cigarette manufacturers are no longer making their fortune.

A great many events are also organised around vaping, such as the Vaper Expo UK, one of the largest gatherings in Europe, bringing together no fewer than 300 exhibitors and drawing 20,000 visitors in barely 3 days.