Research group says global e-cigarette users reach 82 million, up 20%

Today’s news, April 22: According to foreign media reports today, the latest research from the Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (GSTHR) shows a significant increase in the number of global e-cigarette users.

A new peer-reviewed paper published this week in the journal Drugs, Habits and Social Policy estimates that there are now 82 million e-cigarette users worldwide. The GSTHR project from the UK public health body Knowledge•Action•Change (KAC) found that the 2021 figure was 20% higher than in 2020.

According to KAC, e-cigarettes are a safer alternative to smoking.

“Every year, 8 million people around the world die from smoking,” the organization wrote in a press release. “Therefore, the increase in the number of e-cigarette users is a very positive step toward reducing the harm caused by combustible cigarettes and accelerating smoking cessation, with most users having switched from smoking to vaping.”

This new research came shortly after the UK government announced its Swap to Stop program, which aims to provide 1 million smokers with free e-cigarette starter kits to help them quit smoking.

According to KAC, the UK’s relatively relaxed e-cigarette laws have helped bring smoking rates down to the lowest level on record.

“However, the UK’s support for using e-cigarettes for tobacco harm reduction stands in sharp contrast to the situation in many other countries,” KAC wrote. “GSTHR data shows that e-cigarettes are banned in 36 countries, while another 84 countries have regulatory and legislative vacuums. Because of bans, poor product regulation, or no regulation at all, millions of smokers who want to switch to safer e-cigarettes are unable to do so, or may be forced to buy potentially unsafe products on the black market or gray market.”

GSTHR’s research shows that despite restrictive regulations or bans in many countries, more and more people are choosing to switch to safer alternatives to combustible tobacco.

KAC wrote: Like other countries such as New Zealand, the UK provides strong evidence that positive government messaging about e-cigarettes and tobacco harm reduction can accelerate declines in smoking rates. But the international tobacco control conference to be held later this year could jeopardize global progress in reducing smoking-related death and disease through tobacco harm reduction.

The public health body added that this refers to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Conference of the Parties. The tobacco control meeting is scheduled to take place in Panama City in November.

The WHO continues to oppose the use of safer nicotine products for smoking cessation, despite supporting harm reduction in other public health areas such as drug use and HIV/AIDS prevention.

“The latest Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction estimates that there are now 82 million people using e-cigarettes worldwide, proving that consumers find these products attractive,” said Gerry Stimson, Director of KAC and Emeritus Professor at Imperial College London. “As demonstrated in the UK, millions are quitting smoking. Safer nicotine products offer the world’s 1 billion smokers the opportunity to quit by switching to alternatives that significantly reduce the risks to their health.”