False information about vaping risks stops young adults from quitting smoking
Young adults who understand that vaping is less harmful than smoking are more likely to switch from smoking to vaping. However, false information about vaping risks is preventing many from making this change, according to new research.
A study published in Nicotine and Alcohol Research by Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) found that young adults who smoked at age 23 or 24 were more likely to switch to vaping by their late twenties if they believed it was the less harmful option.
Dr Katherine East, Associate Professor in Public Health at BSMS and lead author of the study, said misinformation is a major barrier to reducing smoking rates.
“There is a lot of misinformation circulating that vaping is as bad as smoking or even worse. While vaping is not without risks, the evidence is clear that vaping is much less harmful than smoking and can help people successfully quit smoking,” said Dr East.
The study found that in England in 2024, 85% of adults who smoke either wrongly believed that vaping was as harmful or more harmful than smoking or were unsure of the relative risks. This is a sharp rise from 59% in 2014.
Dr Jasmine Khouja, senior author of the study and Senior Research Associate at the University of Bristol’s Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group, said that addressing public misperceptions should be a priority.
“Our study highlights the need for interventions to improve the pervasive misperceptions about vaping that are currently observed among people who smoke,” said Dr Khouja.
“In recent years, we’ve seen a growing number of people believe that vaping is equally or more harmful than smoking. Our study shows that these beliefs could be stopping some people from switching from smoking to vaping as a less harmful alternative.”
Professor Ann McNeill, co-author of the study and Professor of Tobacco Addiction at King’s College London, stressed the urgency of tackling misinformation.
“Smoking is uniquely deadly and will kill one in two regular sustained smokers, yet most people who smoke do not know vaping is less harmful and can help them to stop smoking completely. Our study shows the importance of addressing vaping misperceptions among people who smoke,” she said.
The study analysed data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), a long-term research project based at the University of Bristol. The research was funded by the Society for the Study of Addiction (SSA).
Further Information
• Nicotine and Alcohol Research – Study link
• NHS – Vaping to quit smoking
• Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) – Facts about vaping
• Cancer Research UK – E-cigarettes and vaping
• Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children – Study information
• Society for the Study of Addiction – Funding body
