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Vaping has been the subject of much controversy since it gained popularity, much to the chagrin of UK-based vape shops and vapers alike. However, the report released by the UK government back in March has been a boon to the industry and to hobbyists alike. Commissioned by Public Health England, the Vaping in England 2020 report dispelled many of the misconceptions surrounding the widely popular hobby.

The Health Concerns

One of the most important aspects of the report was the statistics regarding vaping-related illnesses and deaths in the UK—which amounted to a grand total of zero cases. Cases reported to have been linked to vaping were disproven, as there was no evidence to suggest that this was true at all!

It seems that UK guidelines about the manufacture of vapour products are proving effective. Not only that, but the vaping population is proving that they approach the hobby with a greater sense of responsibility than that of other countries.

The report even goes so far as to say that the “spate of lung injuries and deaths in the US is not attributable to the regulated nicotine vaping products currently sold in England.”

Vaping Among the Youth

The media frenzy surrounding vaping also painted it as an infectious hobby spreading among people who are far too young to be consuming nicotine. This frenzy was the reason behind the many calls to outright ban vapour products in the UK—with many proponents of this ban suggesting that it was a gateway towards the use of tobacco.

Once again, the report disproved this, showing that the number of young people aged 11–15 who were using vapour products dropped to 5% from 6% in 2020. The number of young smokers seems to have dropped as well, dropping 11% to 5% in the span of a decade! This purported epidemic of tobacco use in the youth seems to have been entirely false, as the numbers show a steady decline rather than an increase.

To go beyond that, the majority of these young vapers and smokers reported that they received their products from unscrupulous sources, such as friends and peers. After all, UK vape shops generally do not allow anyone below the age of 18 to make purchases!

Evidence has also shown that “current vaping is mainly concentrated in people who have experience of smoking.” The data seems to show that vaping is not at all the gateway to tobacco use, and that underage vapers are more likely from those who have already developed a habit of underage smoking.

Vaping and Smoking

Some of the most important things shown in the study were that less than 1% of vapers actually smoke and that 99.9% of people who start vaping are smokers who may or may not be looking to quit their consumption of tobacco. It seems that vaping, rather than being a gateway to smoking, functions more as an exit strategy from smoking!

Conclusion

There were plenty of things both dispelled and proven in the Vaping in England 2020 report commissioned by Public Health England. Hopefully, with the statistics and data set straight and coming from a reliable source, the stigma surrounding the hobby will lessen. Now that certain notions are disproven, vaping can now shrug off the branding of being a “gateway” to cigarette smoking.

Are you looking for a vape shop to buy your first vape kit? At V8PR, we are an online vape shop in the UK that offers a selection of over 1000 products for vapers of every experience level. Get in touch with us today and let us get you started to the world of vaping!