Trends in Smoking (UK) and E-Cigarette Use (Great Britain) 2012-2017

This figure shows the trend in e-cigarette use in GB against the trend in smoking in the UK. The trends are rather similar to those seen in Norway and Sweden where snus gradually replaced smoking – bearing in mind that the process in both countries was over a longer period of time.

The anti-smoking charity ASH has conducted repeat surveys on the use of e-cigarettes in the adult population in Great Britain (England, Wales, and Scotland) since 2012. Sample sizes are substantial at around 12,000 adults (18 and over) each year. These surveys show a steady increase in the proportion of the adult population who use e-cigarettes, up from just under two percent in 2012 to nearly six percent in 2017. There appears to be some slowing of the increase in 2016 and 2017. ASH, working with King’s College London, has estimated the prevalence of e-cigarette usage in Great Britain by using the findings of the surveys and applying these to the most recent population data available in each year. This shows that in 2017:

» An estimated 2.9 million adults in Great Britain were currently using e-cigarettes;

» Of the 2.9 million current e-cigarette users, approximately 1.5 million (52%) were ex-smokers

See also p. 52 of the report: No Fire, No Smoke: The Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction 2018 — Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (gsthr.org)