Cancer warning after huge rise in the number of people smoking pipes, shisha and cigars in Britain
The number of people smoking pipes, shisha and cigars in Britain has increased fivefold in the past decade, and experts say this could lead to a rise in smoking-related cancers such as mouth and lung cancer.
Last year there were about 772,800 exclusive users of non-cigarette tobacco, compared to 151,200 in 2013, according to a study published in the journal Nicotine and tobacco research.
The figures are based on research by UCL academics, who surveyed a representative sample of around 1,700 adults monthly about their smoking habits between 2013 and 2023.
The study found that the biggest increase in non-cigarette tobacco use was among young adults, with 3% of 18-year-olds using these forms, compared to 1.1% of 65-year-olds. The study also found that prevalence is higher among men and current vapers.
In 2022-2023, one in ten smokers used exclusively non-cigarette tobacco, such as in cigars and hookahs. Cigars, shisha, cigarillos and pipes are non-cigarette forms of smoking and can be more harmful than cigarettes.
A person who smokes a hookah for between 20 and 80 minutes can inhale the same amount of smoke as someone who smokes more than 100 cigarettes. British Heart Foundation. The charity said tobacco-free shisha still produced dangerous toxins from the smoke.
The study said possible reasons for the sharp increase could be that people think these forms of smoking are less harmful than cigarettes, as well as financial reasons.
The study found that the May 2020 ban on menthol cigarettes did not include these forms of smoking. This could mean that people who preferred the taste may have turned to other products not covered by the ban, such as shisha and cigars.
It is estimated that tobacco is directly linked to 54,300 cases of cancer per year in Britain. Ministers are considering legislation that would mean anyone born on or after January 1, 2009 would not be able to legally buy cigarettes in England at any point in their lives, as the smoking age would be raised by a year every year.
Dr. Ian Walker, executive director of policy at Cancer Research UK, said: “Tobacco kills one person every five minutes in Britain. Research like this shows that the problem of smoking is not just about cigarettes; All tobacco products are harmful and cause cancer, regardless of the form in which they occur.
“That’s why it’s crucial that the government’s age-of-sale legislation applies to all tobacco products. If this policy is implemented, it will be a crucial step towards creating a smoke-free Britain, preventing future generations from ever becoming addicted to tobacco.”
Dr. Sarah Jackson, the paper’s lead author from UCL’s Institute of Epidemiology and Health, said: “This 10-year study captures the shift in trends in non-cigarette tobacco use and paints a worrying picture. While the number of tobacco products smoked has declined, our data shows a sharp increase in the use of other smoked tobacco products, especially among young people.
“It is vital that smoking cessation services are adequately funded and available across Britain so that the approximately 772,800 people who use non-cigarette tobacco products, and the millions who use cigarettes, get the support they need to stop.”