Underage people and non-smokers should not use nicotine in any form, including vaping, and this message seems to be getting through to them. Very few young people vape regularly in Europe and the overwhelming majority of nicotine users start with boxed cigarettes.

Evidence from both survey data and clinical trials show that a smoker is far likely to stop completely if they switch to vaping than if they go “cold turkey” or use nicotine replacement therapies. Eurobarometer data suggests around 3 in ten vapers stop using cigarettes completely. Many vapers who quit completely use non-traditional flavours.

Nicotine is highly addictive, and no-one should start using it. However, it is not the main cause of smoking related disease. Smokers smoke for the nicotine, but they die from the tar, which in turn is created by combustion. Vaping allows smokers to continue to use nicotine in a way that is meaningful to them without the tar.

Major public health practitioners, charities and regulators around the world recognize vaping is far less harmful: 95% less harmful, according to Public Health England. This is because the major toxicants in cigarette smoke are created by combustion, and vaping products do not burn. There is significant scientific evidence to back up these claims.