Almost 85% of e-cigarette users in Europe have quit smoking completely. A majority of them, three quarters, had smoked for over 10 years before switching to vejpning. This is according to ETHRA's survey "EU nicotine users survey 2020"
Only 1.3% of EU e-cigarette users were non-smokers before they started using e-cigarettes. The rest are former smokers (83%), occasional smokers (5%) or daily smokers (11%). In total, 35,000 people participated in the European Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (Ethra) survey. It is the largest study on e-cigarette use in the EU to date.
"Although the data is not representative of the whole population, it suggests that many Europeans use e-cigarettes to quit smoking. 35,000 users also thought this was important enough to take the time to answer the questions. This says a lot", ETHRA writes in its analysis.
Want to reduce the risk of injury
The survey exclusively targeted people who use alternative nicotine products such as e-cigarettes, snus and nicotine pouches. As the availability of snus is restricted in the EU (can only be sold in Sweden), 97% of participants were vejp users. Most responses came from France, Italy and Spain, and the UK (which recently left Union). Participants answered 44 questions about their habits, why they use the products and how they relate to the legislation in place in the EU.
"90% of participants cite harm reduction in relation to smoking as the main reason for using e-cigarettes. 98% say they continue to use the products for the same reason. This suggests that they experience improved health over time," writes ETHRA.
Flavors and prices matter
According to the survey, 83% of vejps have stopped smoking cigarettes altogether. 17% say they still smoke, daily or periodically. Flavorings and price are the two main reasons for using e-cigarettes instead of cigarettes.
"78% say that the flavors and variety were important for switching to vejpning. 82% say that the ability to set up their devices and choose e-liquid with flavor and nicotine strength to their liking was important" writes ETHRA.
Advertising plays less of a role
The survey also shows that advertising and marketing was not a decisive factor in how vejp users use the products. 5% said that advertising the products was important. However, curiosity and the influence of friends and acquaintances were more significant.
"Over a third of respondents said that curiosity was a major reason for trying e-cigarettes. An equally large proportion, 30%, considered the possibility of vejpa in places where smoking is not allowed as important in this context." writes ETHRA.
Online forums help many
Community in various online forums also featured as an important factor. Almost 30% of vejps said that access to a so-called community played a big role role in switching from smoking to e-cigarettes.
