And bust some vaping myths while we’re at it
Friday 1st April sees the start of VApril 2022, a month-long awareness campaign dedicated to helping smokers quit the habit with the aid of e-cigarettes. April is an iconic month for the vaping industry since it’s our time to celebrate vaping and the positive effects that e-cigarettes can have. It’s also a time to encourage and help others make the switch from smoking to vaping.
Run by the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) and now in its fifth year, VApril is the largest campaign in the world devoted to providing specialist education and free resources to help smokers make the switch.
In 2022 one of the key messages that the VApril campaign is tackling is something we also care very deeply about at Dispergo, and that’s how much misinformation and fake news currently proliferates around the vaping industry. As with any growth industry, vaping has its share of detractors, fakes and scams, and most tabloid headlines arise from the sale of illegal e-liquids and kit.
That might be why, according to Public Health England, an estimated 40% of smokers still haven’t tried vaping. It said: “Perceptions of harm from vaping among smokers are increasingly out of line with the evidence…misperceptions are particularly common among smokers who do not vape.”
So VApril 2022 will focus on Facts Not Fiction in helping smokers and their loved ones break through the misinformation to get the facts they need to make an informed decision that could literally change their lives. The Expert Advice section of the website is especially helpful, covering a range of questions from vaping law, to choosing a device or an e-liquid to decoding the terminology around vaping. You can also submit your own questions if there’s anything specific you’d like to know.
The VApril organisers are inviting committed vapers to submit their own stories about what inspired you to make the switch and what impact it’s had on your life. You can share your views via their Speak Up for Vaping page, and also via social media using the hashtag #SpeakUpVaping.
So as VApril2022 dawns, we want to do our bit and share ten facts that will help encourage current smokers to take the first step towards a fresh beginning.
Fact #1
E-cigarettes have been proven to be at least 95% less harmful than traditional cigarettes as reported by Public Health England in their latest Independent Evidence Review.
Fact #2
It’s estimated that around 2.9 million people in the UK currently use e-cigarettes with 1.5 million people having stopped smoking with the help of e-cigarettes.
Fact #3
The Royal College of Physicians advocated for the wide promotion of e-cigarettes as a substitute for smoking as early as 2016.
Fact #4
Health professionals have consistently found that e-cigarettes are twice as effective as nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) which includes nicotine patches, lozenges, gum, inhalers and spray.
Fact #5
Financially, a vaper is much better off with Cancer Research UK reporting that an average vaper spends a fraction of what a smoker spends every month.
Fact #6
Unlike smoking, which is known to be dangerous to those around you, there have been no reported identified risks with “passive vaping”.
Fact #7
Smoking and smoking-related illnesses costs the UK Government over £12.6 billion per year, made up mostly from social care for smoking related care needs, £2.5 billion spent on NHS services and £8.6 billion of lost productivity in businesses.
Fact #8
Half of all lifelong smokers die early, losing an average of about 3 months of life expectancy for every year they smoke after the age of 35.
Fact #9
Vaping does not result in normalisation of smoking. There is no evidence that e-cigarette use has resulted in significant use among adult never-smokers or demonstrated evidence of significant gateway progression into smoking among young people.
Fact #10
According to ASH (Action on Smoking and Health) the vast majority of UK vapers haven’t cycled up in nicotine strength during their vaping journey. In fact, only 9% have increased the amount of nicotine they consume, with 47% of UK vapers saying they have actually reduced the amount of nicotine they use.
Are you ready to make VApril 2022 the one where you will make the swap? We’re here on 01993 627341 or at https://dispergovaping.co.uk/contact-us/ if you need to know more.
