Daily Vaper

Nearly 5 Million British Smokers Attempted To Quit In The Past 12 Months

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Steve Birr Vice Reporter
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Two-thirds of the smoking population in the United Kingdom attempted to ditch the habit this year, largely thanks to the rising popularity of vapor products.

A study from V2 Cigs U.K. released Friday reveals that roughly 5 million smokers tried to quit cigarettes in the past 12 months. While most smokers who gave quitting a try did not make it through a month without picking up a cigarette, many were able to significantly cut back on their daily intake of tobacco. One-third of smokers tracked in the survey were able to reduce their daily cigarette consumption by 75 percent, reports West Sussex County Times.

Roughly one in five smokers were able to quit for good. Two in five smokers turned to alternatives to distract them from the habit, while one in five took up vaping as a substitution.

“It’s good to see that so many people have decided to give vaping a go,” Paul Hunt, managing director of V2 Cigs U.K., told West Sussex County Times. “It’s been widely researched and found that it can be significantly helpful for those trying to quit smoking for good. Many people have never even tried e-cigarettes because they’re worried about their safety and how addictive they are. But it’s important to realize how much of a safer alternative vaping is than smoking, as e-cigarette contain significantly fewer cancer-causing chemicals.”

Lawmakers in the U.K. are urging health services to promote vaping year round for smokers trying to quit after the success of the country’s annual stop-smoking campaign.

Members of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) in the U.K. issued a statement Tuesday praising the potential for alternative smoking technologies like electronic cigarettes to reduce the overall smoking rate. They argue that the government should capitalize on the recent success of the Stoptober campaign, which ran through October, by continuing to promote vaping as a harm reduction tool for smokers throughout the year.

Public Health England, an agency of the U.K.’s Department of Health behind Stoptober, endorsed vaping for the first time this year as a great way for smokers to quit the habit. Vaping eliminates up to 95 percent of the risk associated with cigarettes because the majority of cancer-causing chemicals are inhaled through smoke.

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