New reports show that up to 10% of Americans use e-cigarettes or vaping products.
In the past, lots of people has assumed that the percentage of Americans using vaping products was around 2% to 3%. Now, experts are revealing a survey by Reuters that shows that number is nearer to 10% among sampling of about five thousand people. Of these, about 75% of respondents who used e-cigs said that they also smoke tobacco cigarettes. Another important finding shows that of those who used e-cigarettes and quit tobacco, around 55% of them went back to smoking tobacco cigarettes later.
Demographics in Play
Other aspects of the poll showed that for those under the age of 40, the e-cigarette or vaping use rate was around 15%. This is just slightly behind the number of people who smoke tobacco products. This makes sense given the numbers on younger age groups, where smoking rates tend to be higher overall, and where younger people are often “early adopters” of technologies, from things like smartphones and wearables to e-cigs and vaping products.
Smoking Cessation
Other numbers in this and other studies show how these cigarettes and related products either help people to smoke less, or help them to stop smoking tobacco cigarettes completely. For example, positive indicators in the Reuters study looked at how people view these cigarettes, and found that many of them consider e-cigs to be good smoking cessation tools. Many people who use vaping were convinced to try it by word of mouth — other people told them about the benefits of these cigarettes and similar products, or suggested that they might be able to finally kick the tobacco habit with an e-cigarette system. That has led some to look at vaping and e-cigarettes as a kind of effective public health resource, that, when applied, effectively, could save lives, improve profit for businesses, and help doctors to move on preventative care and consultation.
Benefits of E-cigarettes
One of the main values for those surveyed was that e-cigarettes can be smoked indoors, and aren’t subject to the now-stringent regulations on tobacco products that are aimed at preventing secondhand smoke problems. Many also consider vaping to be a good, relatively affordable way to “wean” the body off of tobacco smoking through controlling the nicotine in the products and way that it’s delivered.
Government Regulations
Currently, the FDA and other government groups are looking at how to regulate these cigarettes and other products. They’re looking at a very carefully balanced equation — on one hand, regulators have to look at whether there are any potential health risks in vaping products. However, on the other hand, they have to consider how decreasing tobacco smoking is not only good for the individual, but good for the general community as well. Advocates for vaping and e-cigarettes make the case that by providing an alternative to tobacco smoking, a viable alternative that people can transition to, vaping has helped enormously to bring down the rate of cigarette smoking in the US, in conjunction with concerted public awareness campaigns, non-smoking rules in public spaces and business locations, and a general push to improve human health and safety. As insurers and other parties look at how to promote general wellness and preventive care, e-cigarettes and vaping can be a big part of the picture for smokers, a category of people much more likely to suffer from certain kinds of disease.
As Americans continue to work on wellness issues, the cigarette industry has boomed as it continues to offer these healthier alternatives. Vaping is everywhere, and the new numbers just confirm that the e-cigarette is something supported by consumer markets.