E-Cigarette Survey: Smoking and Vaping Behavior in Ireland
What about the vaping and smoking behavior of the Irish? More and more smokers are switching from tobacco cigarettes to e-cigarettes, which are proven to be 95 percent less harmful. But what percentage of Irish people have ever tried e-cigarettes? How many smokers have successfully quit tobacco with their help? And how satisfied are the vapers with the e-cigarette? We at www.electronic-cigarette.ie asked almost 600 people about smoking and their experiences with e-cigarettes. The online survey was attended by people between the ages of 18 and 65 from across Ireland. First of all: 86 percent of vapers are satisfied or even very satisfied with the e-cigarette! You can find out what else the survey has revealed in this article!
According to a survey: e-cigarettes are the most popular means of quitting smoking
Although it is somewhat surprising, not all smokers want to leave tobacco behind. However, 65 percent of participants answered the question "Have you ever tried to quit smoking?" with "Yes". For smokers who would like to get rid of cigarette smokes, the e-cigarette is the drug of choice for the majority of respondents. In front of other nicotine replacement products such as nicotine patches, lozenges or chewing gum, the e-cigarette ranked first with 41 percent among those surveyed who had already managed to stop smoking with an aid. At the turn of the year, 67 percent of smokers made the resolution to quit smoking. Among the participants who now want to stop smoking, at almost 70 percent, a significantly larger proportion decides to use e-cigarettes than among the previous switchers.
Addiction psychology proves these subjects right: In two studies by Prof. Peter Hajek (2019) and the qualified health psychologist Katie Myers Smith (2021), the e-cigarette was proven to be a “much more effective means of quitting tobacco” for numerous smokers. One of the main reasons for the success of e-cigarettes is that they are much more similar to classic tobacco cigarettes in terms of feel and habitual use than classic nicotine replacement products.
Great satisfaction among vapers
With a high proportion of 86 percent, the majority of vapers are satisfied (55%) or even very satisfied (31%) with the e-cigarette. 62 percent of those surveyed cited habit as the main reason for reaching for the classic tobacco cigarette. The argument that nicotine would have a calming effect in stressful situations ranked second at 52 percent. This is followed by points such as taste (39%) and social interaction, for example with friends or colleagues during the smoking break (17%). The high level of satisfaction with the e-cigarette is therefore not at all surprising, as it can equally reflect the arguments put forward: Due to their form and functionality, the e-cigarette can be used habitually in the same way as tobacco cigarettes. Due to the different nicotine strengths in liquids, vapers can determine the nicotine content when vaping and even reduce it to zero! Liquid for the e-cigarette is also available with the taste of tobacco, but also in a variety of other tastes. And the short break from the stressful everyday life with colleagues can be designed with the e-cigarette as well as with the fag - but without tobacco, combustion and the smell of cigarettes!
Good reasons for vaping
There are plenty of good reasons for smokers to switch to vaping: several scientific studies, the surveys of the British health authority Public Health England being probably the best known, show that electronic cigarettes are up to 95 percent less harmful to health than classic tobacco cigarettes. Another argument for the e-cigarette is the so-called “sidestream smoke”. Once a tobacco cigarette is lit, it burns whether smoked or not. Due to their design, e-cigarettes only release vapor when inhaled or when a special fire button is pressed. Both smokers and non-smokers should also be aware of the danger to third parties from passive smoking. Even if research does not yet have a uniform position on the subject of passive vaping, even critical studies, for example by the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, assume that the content of toxic substances in the vapor of an e-cigarette is usually lower than in tobacco smoke. Other studies, such as the one published in 2018 by the Federal Materials Testing and Research Institute in Switzerland together with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, the Kaunas University of Technology in Lithuania and the company Fontana Ventures, show that the aerosols caused by e-cigarette vapour stay in the room air much shorter than the smoke of a tobacco cigarette.
More than half have experience with e-cigarettes
More than half (51%) of the participants in our survey had already had experience with e-cigarettes at the time of the survey. 51 percent of the participants also stated that the corona pandemic of the last two years has had an impact on their health awareness. For 86 percent, the topic of health has often (33%) or at least occasionally (35%) played a greater role in everyday decisions since the outbreak of the pandemic. The e-cigarette, as a demonstrably significantly less harmful alternative to tobacco cigarettes, can make a decisive contribution to harm reduction, i.e. minimizing health risks, for all those who still smoke.
What the vapers say
Even though e-cigarettes have become a hobby for many vapers, a passion for some and a connecting element within the community for all of us: the majority of respondents find e-cigarettes to give up tobacco (39%) or at least smoke less (35%). That's not surprising, but there are other reasons for vaping as well. At 33 percent, around a third of the participants stated that they simply wanted to try out the e-cigarette out of interest in the technology and curiosity about the products. The desire to test the diverse flavors of liquids, the annoying smoke smell of tobacco cigarettes and possible cost savings are other reasons given as motivation for vaping.
We also asked about the preferred nicotine strength. Even if vaping in the MTL area has recently been on the rise, most vapers prefer a rather low nicotine content. With 45 percent, the nicotine strength of up to 3 mg/ml is the most popular among the participants in the survey! This is immediately followed by 6 to 11 mg/mL (21%) and 4 to 5 mg/mL (14%). 9 percent of respondents completely abstain from nicotine when vaping. At 3 percent, only a small proportion of vapers opt for a nicotine content of 18 mg/ml and more.
As far as money is concerned: 61 percent of all respondents stated that they spend up to 24.00 euros a month on vaping with e-cigarettes. For 28 percent of the participants, the expenses are between 25.00 and 49.00 euros, 50.00 euros and more shell out only 11 percent.
These are the respondents
Our online survey of smoking and vaping behavior in Ireland. Participated 634 people. The top spots for participation go to Co.Dublin, Co.Cork and Co.Limerick.
At 55 percent, the proportion of male participants was slightly higher than that of women, but not significantly. 2 percent of the respondents do not assign themselves to either gender. Of course, only people who were over 18 at the time of the survey were questioned. At 24 percent, people between the ages of 55 and 64 made up the largest group of respondents; 17 percent of all participants were younger than 24 at the time of the survey.
Do you vape regularly? What is your experience with e-cigarettes? Let us know in the comments!