Associations between smoking and vaping prevalence, product use characteristics, and mental health diagnoses in Great Britain: a population survey

Health outcomes of electronic cigarettes

ABSTRACT

The usage of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) sparked an outbreak of unidentified vaping-related lung disease in the US during late 2019. With e-cigarettes becoming more and more popular, smokers have more options other than conventional cigarettes. Under these circumstances, a comprehensive evaluation of the general safety of new tobacco and tobacco-related products, represented by e-cigarettes, to human health is necessary. In this review, we summarize the current research on potential negative impacts of e-cigarette exposure on human health. In particular, studies detailing the relationship between e-cigarettes and the digestive system are summarized, with mechanisms mainly including hepatic metabolic dysfunction, impaired gut barrier, and worsened outcomes of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Although believed to be safer than traditional cigarettes, e-cigarettes exert adverse effects on systemic health and induce the development of multiple diseases including asthma, cardiovascular disease, and IBD. Moreover, nicotine-containing e-cigarettes have a negative impact on the childhood development and increase the risk of arterial stiffness compared to the non-nicotine e-cigarettes. However, non-nicotine e-cigarette components have detrimental effects including promoting liver damage and metabolic disorders.

Who would be affected by a ban on disposable vapes? A population study in Great Britain

OBJECTIVES

The UK government is consulting on banning disposable e-cigarettes. This study aimed to describe trends in disposable e-cigarette use among adults in Great Britain since 2021 and establish who would currently be affected by a ban on disposables.

STUDY DESIGN

Nationally-representative monthly cross-sectional survey.

METHODS

We analysed data from 69,973 adults surveyed between January 2021 and August 2023. We estimated monthly time trends in the weighted prevalence of current disposable e-cigarette use among adults and by sociodemographic characteristics and smoking status.

RESULTS

From January 2021 to August 2023, the prevalence of disposable e-cigarette use grew from 0.1 % to 4.9 %. This rise was observed across all population subgroups but was most pronounced among younger adults (e.g. reaching 15.9 % of 18-year-olds compared with 1.3 % of 65-year-olds), those who currently smoke (16.3 %), and those who stopped smoking in the past year (18.2 %). Use among never smokers remained relatively rare (1.5 %), except among 18- to 24-year-olds (7.1 %). Use was significantly higher in England than Wales or Scotland (5.3 % vs. 2.0 % and 2.8 %) and among less (vs. more) advantaged social grades (6.1 % vs. 4.0 %), those with (vs. without) children (6.4 % vs. 4.4 %), and those with (vs. without) a history of mental health conditions (9.3 % vs. 3.1 %).

CONCLUSIONS

A ban on disposable e-cigarettes would currently affect one in 20 adults in Great Britain (approximately 2.6 million people). The proportion who would be affected would be greatest among young people, including the 316,000 18-24 year-olds who currently use disposables but who have never regularly smoked tobacco, which may discourage uptake of vaping in this group. However, a ban would also affect 1.2 million people who currently smoke and a further 744,000 who previously smoked. It would also have a disproportionate impact on disadvantaged groups that have higher rates of smoking and typically find it harder to quit.