The use of E-cigarettes is growing around the world – massively in America and modestly in Britain. In recent years American government at the Federal and state level have made moves to clamp down on Vaping in America due to the huge number of young smokers. In the United Kingdom, however, there has not been a similar move. This can be explained by a number of factors, including different approaches to regulation and advertising. Read on to find out why, despite the increase in the number and severity of restrictions on vaping across the Atlantic, British smokers should not be overly concerned by these restrictions.
Different regulatory approaches and contents of e-cigarettes
In Britain, CNN reports, e-cigarettes are used by around 5% of 11-18 year olds. 3.3% of these children and young people say they vape less than once a week, with the other 1.6% saying that they smoke more than once week. This adds up to a large number of people, but pales in comparison to America’s young vapers. One quarter of American high school students have vaped. This fivefold difference in youth uptake can be explained largely by Britain’s far tighter advertising regulations. Nicotine products cannot be advertised online or on the radio, although they can be advertised in public places and buses and so on.
In America, where five times as many young people vape, the media have recently picked up on an outbreak of vaping-related illnesses, that may be linked to seven deaths in the country from potentially illicit THC fluids, which is behind much of the public health outcry. However, besides the non-regulation THC cannabinoid oils likely responsible for these incidents, nicotine-based e-cigarettes, especially those sold in the United Kingdom, are notably safer.
Along with its far higher uptake, the e-cigarettes available in the United States can often contain as much as double the nicotine as those sold in the United Kingdom. Poor regulatory limits can expose American vapers to unnecessary levels of risk which British vapers are not affected by, due to stricter controls and lower nicotine contents.
E-cigarettes around the world
In the wake of the American media attention Norway and Australia have banned the sale of e-cigarettes with nicotine in them, and there are similar bans in place in Japan, Thailand and Singapore. However, the story of vaping in the United Kingdom gives a different picture to elsewhere, with smoking being used mostly by adults looking to quit smoking, as vaping is considered to be 95% less dangerous than smoking. At present, the number of young people who vape regularly and had never previously smoked is only 1% of vapers. Vaping, therefore, is shown to be playing a largely positive role in British public life.
If you feel unsure about vaping in the wake of hearing about American regulations, remember that in the United Kingdom vaping is far safer than smoking. Due to a well-managed regulatory system, you can be confident that any vape fluid you buy from a recognised seller such as VSAVI will be a strong safe step towards quitting smoking.
