Spotlight on Vaping: Can this new habit take the place of cigarettes?

The popularity of vaping has skyrocketed since the late 2010s, especially amongst young adults and it is quickly replacing the traditional tobacco industry.

Since 2019 the number of cigarette smokers worldwide decreased to just over a billion. Although the number of cigarette smokers has dropped, e-cigarette products, such as vapes, have grown in appeal since the 2010s, adding tens of millions of new users to date. The global number of adult e-cigarette users rose from 7 million in 2011 to between 68 and 82 million in 2021.

Vaping Background

From $6.9 billion in 2013 to $19.3 billion in 2018, the value of the vaping industry has almost tripled. And as of 2021, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan and France are home to the largest vaping product consumers. The global e-cigarette and vape market was valued at US22.8bm in 2022. What exactly are electronic cigarettes, then? It is a gadget that functions by heating a liquid solution to a high enough temperature to create an aerosol that can be inhaled by the user. The majority of vaporisers have nicotine and offer a variety of flavours. Vapes may be sold that incorporate cannabis products in places where marijuana is legal.

Disruptive Health Impact

Vaping liquid often contains nicotine even when it says it is nicotine free. Nicotine is highly addictive.

Vaping also causes lung issues, making the lungs more vulnerable to infection and disease. The American Lung Association has stated that the inhalation of harmful chemicals from vaping can cause irreversible lung damage and disease, such as Popcorn Lung. A chemical called diacetyl which although banned in the UK & EU is available in juices worldwide is used to create a buttery taste such as used in popcorn. High exposure to diacetyl can lead to the serious long disease bronchiolitis obliterans also known as popcorn lung.

The culture surrounding vaping is expanding, with supporters frequently holding vaping events to highlight new vaping products. Teenagers in developed nations have an especially high uptake of vaping, and over the next few decades, vaping may completely replace cigarette smoking worldwide.

Effects of the e-cigarette Market

Additional effects of the expanding e-cigarette market could see

• A rise in vaping's acceptance in non-traditional Asian, African, and South American marketplaces.
• Government and public scrutiny of the health effects of vaping has increased, and marketing efforts to stop the industry's expansion have been relaunched.
• The pharmaceutical industry may use vaping technology as a tool to give patients inhalable prescription drugs.
• Criminal organisations may use vaping technology to create devices that are specifically designed to deliver different kinds of illegal drugs.

What do you think?

• What are the negative impacts of vaping on health?
• What changes do you anticipate the vaping business will undergo over the next five to ten years?