E-cigarettes become prison social currency in the UK: inmates spend more than £7 million a year

According to reports on May 7, data shows that prisoners in the UK spend over £7 million a year on electronic cigarettes.

Since the government gradually implemented a smoking ban in prisons in England and Wales in 2019, spending has been increasing each year.

Prison reform organizations state that prisoners, spending long hours in their cells without healthier activities, are turning to these products.  

In the last fiscal year, prisoners spent £7,655,766 on electronic cigarettes, marking a new high over the past three years.

As of January this year, prisoners had already spent £6,730,176 on electronic cigarettes alone.

British American Tobacco (BAT) and Manchester-based Supreme Imports Ltd are listed as suppliers of these products in data released by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). 

In 2018, Metro.co.uk reported on how electronic cigarettes became popular after the gradual implementation of the smoking ban the previous year.

At that time, a prisoner released from Foston Hall prison in Derbyshire said: "I couldn't have completed my two-month sentence without my e-cigarette."

She also mentioned how the refill packs became a form of currency among prisoners. 

Andrew Nelson, director of the Howard League for Penal Reform, stated that the increase in spending reflects, to some extent, the rise in the prison population since the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"But it may also indicate how people in prison are turning to e-cigarettes to help them cope with the monotony of being locked in their cells for hours. Fresh air, exercise, and a range of positive activities are essential for helping people in prison live healthier lives."

During the pandemic, prisoners had significantly less time outside their cells, and the prison reform trust warned this week that the lack of contact remains a persistent issue. 

CEO Piyushinha stated: "Prisons are high-stress environments, and many prisoners spend up to 23 hours a day locked in their cells with nothing to do.

"Therefore, it is understandable that many turn to nicotine for comfort. For health reasons, using e-cigarettes is preferable to smoking, as smoking has been banned in prisons for years."

Since 2015, e-cigarettes have been provided in prisons in an attempt to help prisoners quit smoking.

Meanwhile, spending on e-cigarettes increased from £4,446,459 in the 2019-2020 fiscal year to £7,655,766 in the 2021-2022 fiscal year.

According to data released to Metro.co.uk under the Freedom of Information Act, BAT's products and Supreme Imports' 88Vape are currently used in prisons.

It has been revealed that 88Vape rechargeable pen devices are available for prisoners, including starter kits and flavors such as menthol, berry, raspberry ripple, and cola ice.

In response to requests, the Ministry of Justice stated: "The prison canteen service provides a variety of products (including e-cigarettes) to prisoners, which are sourced from approved national suppliers responsible for procuring products to meet public demand.  

"All purchases are made with the prisoners' own money."

According to the UK Ministry of Justice, England is now the largest smoke-free prison system in Western Europe. 

A spokesperson said: "Since 2018, all closed prisons have banned smoking to protect staff and prisoners from secondhand smoke. Prisoners can purchase e-cigarettes at their own expense—many use them to help quit smoking."