In just two years’ e-cigarette users have increased up to 2.1 million here in the UK, and as an industry under constant criticism by the media, there have been a number of reports in 2015 alone attempting to unmask the true value of these tools as a healthy alternative to traditional tobacco.
With the ASH report confirming in June this year that e-cigarette devices have proved as an incredible success in encouraging smokers to quit a lifetime habit, the PHE report that followed also shone a light on the industry as one that is encouraging a healthier lifestyle.
But whilst the argument around their overall benefits is still in the tipping balance, a recent survey has brought to light the fact that those who currently vape are fitter, with 37 per cent of people exercising more times in a week than the average Briton.
The report was implemented to understand the true health culture of people using e-cigarettes, as it’s often thought that those using such devices have a general lack of awareness about their fitness. But this is simply not the case as this survey has clearly revealed people who have switched to vaping are feeling healthier and fitter.
Director of Cloudstix Darren Sharples said: ‘The information shown in the survey supports the notion that people whom exercise and vape feel better than if they smoke and can get through their workout without shortage of breath or having to stop / slow down.
‘If more people whom have a nicotine addiction switched to vaping they may then find they have more energy and stamina to use in the gym/fitness therefore contributing to their health even more. We all know that not smoking or vaping would be the healthiest thing a person could do but the stats show that those whom choose to vape rather than smoke can get through their workout better than a smoker who would no doubt suffer from a much more severe shortage of breathe which would impact on their workout.’
As so many reports and surveys begin to take form, it’s only a matter of time before the government or the NHS decide to run their own investigations into the benefits of these devices, but the case for them is strong, and those who are having difficulty quitting traditional smoking have made calls for the devices to be made available via the NHS Stop smoking initiative.
The vaping culture has been embraced in many EU countries and it has seen a dramatic decrease in young smokers and those burdened with smoking related illnesses.
Despite the headlines it is far from clear what these current reports will help to establish, as it makes no recommendation as to how e-cigarettes should be used.
The only certainty that we can currently take from these reports is that vaping is far less harmful than traditional smoking, but further research needs to be done.