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According to new survey data, more than three million people in Britain
Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) estimated that 3.2 million adults in Britain use electronic cigarettes, up from 700,000 six years ago.
Vaping remains a popular choice for those looking to quit smoking in 2018, with 62% of ex-smokers turning away and 40% of current smokers doing it to help eliminate the habit or stay away from tobacco.
Most vapers are now ex-smokers (52%) – a trend observed for the first time in 2017 and stable since.
But as devices gain popularity among smokers, a "disturbing" number does not know that research to date shows that e-cigarettes are less harmful than tobacco cigarettes.
Dr. Leonie Brose, of King's College London, said: "The still wrong belief among some smokers that vaping is as bad as smoking is a concern." Public Health England's campaigns and
Less harmful
The ASH study shows that while there has been a rapid increase in the number of vaping consumers in recent years, about one-third of smokers have still not tried an electronic cigarette.
The number of smokers who view vaping as less or less harmful than tobacco cigarettes has increased from 47% in 2017 to 54% in 2018.
But just over one in five smokers (22%) still do not understand that steaming can improve one's health.
George Butterworth, chief policy officer for cancer research in the UK, said more needs to be done to spread the message that vaping is less harmful than smoking.
"The evidence to date shows that e-cigarettes are much less harmful than tobacco, but many smokers do not know it," he said.
"As the leading independent funder of e-cigarette research, Cancer Research UK wants to ensure that smokers receive accurate information about their safety.
"It is encouraging to see in this study that more smokers consider e-cigarettes to be less harmful, as it may encourage them to quit."
YouGov interviewed more than 12,000 adults on behalf of ASH, with additional analyzes provided by researchers at Kings College London.
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How vaping helps even hardened smokers quit
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