‘Never Smoker’ Ill-Defined in Recent Study: UKVIA

A recent study suggesting there are more vapers without a history of smoking in England improperly defines “never smokers,” according to the U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA).

“This new research talks about ‘never-regular-smokers’ vaping, their definition for this being people who have not smoked for more than a year,” said UKVIA Director General John Dunne in a statement.

“This definition is problematic as it does not exclusively include what most people would define as nonsmokers. As the study authors also point out, it is impossible to say if their cohort, whether experimenting with cigarettes already or not, would not have become smokers were it not for vapes.

“The authors themselves also note that some people have genes and circumstances leading them to like nicotine products; traditionally, they ended up smoking, but some are now discovering vaping without becoming smokers first. If vaping did not exist, they would be smoking.

“Vaping should only be for smokers looking to quit, but we also need to ensure that those smokers continue to have access to what they need in order to quit.”