UK taking strongly to electronic cigarettes

The number of adult Britons who used electronic cigarettes during 2015, at 2.6 million, was increased by 24 percent on that of 2014, according to a Trefis report citing figures from the anti-smoking charity ASH.

The growth was said to have been driven by a rise in the number of ex-smokers using electronic cigarettes. A Smoke-free Britain Survey conducted by YouGov had shown increases in electronic cigarette use among ex-smokers of 4.5 percent during 2014 and 6.7 percent during 2015.

Electronic cigarette sales surged in the UK to become the fastest growing supermarket product by volume and value in 2014.

Trefis reported Nielsen as saying that while sales of traditional nicotine replacement products, such as patches and gum, had dropped by 6.1 percent during 2014, those of electronic cigarettes had risen by 50.0 percent year-on-year to 17.3 million units.

‘This shift can be attributed to positive reviews about the products and their efficacy in helping smokers quit,’ the report said.

A recent report published by Public Health England found that vaping electronic cigarettes was 95 percent less harmful than was smoking tobacco, and that vaping could be a gateway for smokers trying to quit.

The Trefis report is at: http://www.trefis.com/stock/pm/articles/331592/e-cigarette-market-in-the-u-k-part-1-a-health-threat-or-a-cure/2016-01-19