Research shows that the use of powerful vapors has increased significantly

A study shows that the use of powerful nicotine vapors has increased significantly over the past three years.

Researchers found that in June 2021, only 6.6% of people used the highest strength vapes, defined as those near the legal limit of 20mg/ml of nicotine, but by January 2024 this had risen to 32.5 % of users.

The study, by UCL researchers, looked at a survey of 7,314 adults who vaped in England to assess how the use of vapes with different nicotine strengths had changed over that period.

The researchpublished in the journal Addiction and funded by Cancer Research UK, found the biggest increase among 18-24 year old vapers, from 3.9% between July 2016 and June 2021 to 53.1% in 2024.

The researchers warned the government against taxing vape products based on nicotine strength, as proposed in the Tobacco and Vaping Act, despite the increase in the number of vapers using high nicotine content products.

Dr. Sarah Jackson, the lead author of the study, based at the UCL Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, said current plans to tax high-nicotine vapes at a higher rate could make it less affordable to quit smoking.

She said: “Our research shows a sharp increase in the use of high-potency nicotine e-liquids in England since 2021.

“Nicotine can be addictive, but it is not the cause of the vast majority of harm from smoking. For smokers trying to quit, vaping with higher strength nicotine is likely to be more effective because it satisfies cravings more quickly and provides better relief from withdrawal symptoms.

“Taxing higher strength nicotine products at higher rates will make the most effective way to quit less affordable, which could drive vapers to lower strength e-liquids and potentially undermine smoking cessation efforts. Among smokers who quit and were vaping in the past year, we found that about 40% reported using products that would attract the highest proposed tax rate.

Deborah Arnott, the CEO of Action on Smoking and Health and co-author of the study, said: “Reducing underage vaping can best be achieved by making all vaping less attractive and increasing the price at the point of sale, regardless their nicotine content.

“This is the policy that will be most effective in preventing children from starting vaping in the first place. However, if we also want to ensure that vaping remains an effective quit aid for adults, smokers should not be deterred from using higher nicotine vapes, which are likely to be more effective quit aids.”