Analyzing E-Cigarette Use to Reduce Smoking-Related Deaths: A Report

This problem-based report analyzes the use of e-cigarettes among the British population to understand their role in reducing smoking-related deaths. The report begins with an introduction outlining the research problem and aim, followed by a literature review that examines existing research on e-cigarettes, vaping, and their impact on public health. The methodology section details the qualitative research approach and thematic analysis used to analyze secondary data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS). The data analysis and interpretation section focuses on the ONS data, exploring reasons for e-cigarette use and the role of e-cigarettes in smoking cessation. The report highlights the motivations behind quitting smoking, both intrinsic and extrinsic, and how e-cigarettes can aid in this process. The conclusion summarizes the findings and provides recommendations on how to lower smoking-related mortality, including strategies like intrinsic motivation, switching to e-cigarettes, smoking cessation programs, counselling, and medication. The report emphasizes the potential of e-cigarettes as an extrinsic motivational tool, especially for individuals lacking intrinsic motivation to quit smoking. The report aims to provide actionable insights for public health initiatives to reduce smoking-related deaths in the UK.

Problem Based Report - How
to lower smoking related
deaths

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Aim..................................................................................................................................................3
Literature review..............................................................................................................................3
Research methodology.....................................................................................................................4
Data analysis and interpretation.......................................................................................................5
Conclusion and recommendations...................................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................8

Introduction
E-cigarettes have been on a constant rise in the form of vaping in the UK since past few
years and has been considered a major reason for many people to quit smoking or reduce the
harmful effects of smoking. This research will focus upon the ways to lower smoking associated
mortality, through a study on the use of e-cigarette by British population and finding ways in
which tobacco smoking related deaths can be lowered. The major causes of high number of e
cigarette users and associated health impacts will be discussed in this report. A data analysis will
be conducted from government data collected through secondary research method. Apart from
these, certain recommendations will be provided on how to reduce the dangers of smoking and
lower the smoking related mortality.
Aim
Problem to be studied or the research problem is: To analyse the use of e cigarette among
the British population and its major causes and benefits, health effects, and primarily how to
lower the smoking related deaths using e cigarette.
Literature review
As per Bold and et.al., (2018) E cigarette is the electronic device which stimulates
tobacco smoking consisting of an atomiser and a power source like a battery and also a container
which has a tank or a cartridge. Unlike tobacco-based smoking in case of E cigarette, the user
inhales vapor instead of some and this is why the use of e cigarette is also known as vaping. In
recent years there has been a high use of e cigarette since 2011 globally. In the context of UK,
the number of people using the e-cigarette has risen where majority of the users are smokers and
ex-smokers. Also, e-cigarette has been initiated in the European Union for various reasons like e-
cigarette being less harmful than tobacco consumption, stop tobacco smoking and
customisability.
According to Loukas and et.al., (2018), the progression of the use of e cigarette began
with the resemblance to a tobacco cigarette. The major causes that can be identified for the
increase in the use of the e-cigarette are that there is a perception among the general public that
they are less harmful and safer than the normal tobacco-based cigarette. Also, the users find e
cigarettes easy to be used indoors without any smoke related hindrances. There have been high
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options of customisability such as selection of various flavours like nicotine based vaping or
other options and vaping has become a standard for novelty. One of the major causes of the
increase is the use can be considered the motivation in people to quit tobacco-based smoking, is
an aid in quitting smoking and there are ways in which they can get around the smoke free laws.
Also, there are other reason that compel people to indulge in vaping are from influence or peer
pressure, where young people taken up vaping just because their friends are doing it. Apart from
these, the reason for using is the fact that people actually enjoy vaping and consider this a great
form of recreational activity.
Wang and et.al., (2018) have mentioned in the study that the major health effects and
benefits of e smoking or vaping are mostly uncertain and there have been gaps in the research
regarding this, especially in the long term. There have been tentative evidences regarding the
effectiveness to help people quit tobacco smoking. However, there are chances that people can
get addicted to nicotine-based smoking through vaping and this in turn may lead young people to
start smoking. The evidences in the part of reducing tobacco-based harm is highly unclear. Also,
it is found that e cigarette has the ability to lower or reduce the diseases and death caused by
tobacco consumption. The main ways in which smoking can be reduced is shifting people to take
up vaping instead of smoking and quitting the habit through various smoking cessation
programs, health diet and exercise.
Research methodology
The research type conducted in this study will be based on qualitative method and the
various concepts, meanings, hidden links, context regarding the numerical data will be studies in
details. An inductive reasoning approach will be adopted coupled with an interpretivist
philosophy, which means the study will move from generalisations to specific solutions for the
research problem. A thematic analysis method will be adopted for the analysing the data which
will be collected through secondary sources such as books, journal articles, publications and
government reports etc (Snyder, 2019).
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Data analysis and interpretation
From the above data presented, it can be observed that the table represents the major
reasons for the use of e cigarettes in consideration of the smoking status in Great Britain. that
have been observed by the office for national statistics of UK.
All e-cigarette users
aged 16 and over
2019 2018 2017
Cigaret
te
smoker
Ex-
smoke
r
Never
smoke
d
Cigaret
te
smoker
Ex-
smoke
r
Never
smoke
d
Cigarett
e
smoker
Ex-
smoker
Never
smok
ed
Perception that they are
less harmful than
cigarettes
4.6 22.7 8.9 10.6 18.8 0.0 20.8 37.0 29.2
Can be used indoors 5.4 0.0 0.0 6.6 0.0 1.6 14.1 0.0 12.5
Cheaper than tobacco
products
9.4 8.8 12.9 8.1 6.0 2.6 6.6 8.4 5.5
Novelty 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 23.5 0.0 0.7 5.3
Aid to stop smoking 50.2 51.8 34.0 53.8 57.1 3.0 52.2 47.8 19.9
Range of different
flavours available
0.8 3.5 0.0 2.6 1.2 0.0 1.3 2.0 5.8
Other reasons2 29.7 13.3 44.2 18.4 16.9 69.2 5.1 4.3 21.9
Weighted base (000s) 6 1,0
13
1,
364 62
1,1
17
1,
549 156
1
,211 1,312 90
Unweighted sample 106 186 12 138 235 15 168 178 12
Source: Office of National Statistics, UK (2020)
It can be interpreted from the above data that the main causes that led to people aged 16
years and above to adopt e-cigarette smoking and the primary reasons for using them can be
categorised into multiple factors (Nuttavuthisit, 2019). It was noted in the dataset that the
perception of them being less harmful than the traditional e cigarette has been one of the major
reasons for 20% cigarette smokers in 2017 to reduce up to approximately 4.6%. The perception
decreased in the years 2018 and 2019 due to more studies coming up in this regard and the
possible risks associated with vaping. However, when it comes to ex- smokers, a high number of.
The primary reason which is the aid to stop smoking has been listed as on the of the most
important by both the smokers with 50.2 % and ex-smokers being 51.8%. This primarily shows
that it is highly evident that e cigarettes can be helpful in assisting people to leave smoking as
majority of the ex-smokers have agreed to e-cigarettes being helpful in making them quit
smoking. The reason of customisability and the ability to add flavours while vaping has been a
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major cause for non-smokers to take up vaping. When it comes to the ability of using e cigarettes
indoor has been preferred by almost 9% cigarette smokers in 2019. The reason of e cigarette
being more affordable or cheap than the traditional tobacco cigarette has been rising over the
years, which was 6.6 % in 2017 and increased to 9.4% in 2019. The ex-smokers or the people
who previously used to smoke have categorised the affordability criteria as one of the major
reasons as well with 8.8% of them stating this (Kalkhoran and Glantz, 2016). Thousands of
people in the UK have stopped smoking with the help of e-cigarette as it helped in managing the
nicotine cravings (Yeh, Bullen and Glantz, 2016). It can also be suggested that the people who
used e-cigarettes are more likely to quit smoking and succeed in comparison to other people who
use alternative methods like gum and patches. From the data set presented above it can also be
noted that the other reasons that helped people in shifting are the novelty associated with it by
minimal people and rest of the people constituting 29.7% stating other reasons for choosing e
cigarettes.
As per the secondary data analysis, it can be observed that motivation works as the
underlying cause behind the practice of quitting smoking (McKee and Capewell, 2015).
Motivation theory aims at understanding the factors that drive a person to work towards a
specific goal. When it comes to quitting smoking, which is essential to reduce the death caused
by smoking, it is essential that people focus on internal and external motivation. Extrinsic factors
of motivation are those factors by which people end to get motivated externally such as ban on
smoking in public places, smoking cessation programs in workplaces, public advisories on ill
effects of smoking, extra incentives or recognition after quitting smoking in workplaces etc
(Vandrevala and et.al., 2017). Intrinsic factors tend to showcase those factors that are motivated
by the satisfaction of human needs such as the desire to improve one’s own health, caring about
family, personal motivation to improve health and reduce the harmful impact and disease
associated with smoking. Most people in the UK that tend to quit smoking are motivated by a
combination of both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. This motivation from within the people have
led them to take up e-cigarettes or vaping as a method to aiding them for quitting smoking and
also reduce the harmful effects of smoking (Pokhrel and Herzog, 2015). When it comes to e
cigarette, it provides an alternative smoking associated experience to individuals who are highly
motivated to quit smoking but face difficulties because of the immediate and unwanted
consequences or after effects such as smell litter and ash. Because of the safety of e cigarettes
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which is highly ensured, e-cigarettes can be effectively utilised for reduction in the usage of
tobacco exposure especially in the young people or the ones who are at high danger or risk
because of smoking. E cigarettes are also a power extrinsic motivational method to be
implemented because due to the addictive nature of the tobacco smoking, the intrinsic
motivations may be very less powerful and thus e cigarettes can be extremely useful for the
people who don’t have any intrinsic motivation to quit smoking on their own (Hitchman and
et.al., 2015).
Conclusion and recommendations
It can be concluded from the research regarding the problem of reduction of smoking
related deaths is respected to the UK and conducting a survey on the use and causes of e
cigarettes in the UK in the recent years, that e cigarettes have been crucial sources of reducing
smoking habit in people. From the secondary research and statistics gathered from the office of
national statistics, the major reasons for using e cigarettes by the population of UK in the years
2017, 2018 and 2019 were analysed and was interpreted that the major reason was the aid in
stopping smoking and the perception amongst people that smoking is less harmful. The
motivation-based reasons of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation were also highlighted which
addressed that e- cigarettes are one of the best ways of extrinsic motivation to help people quit
smoking, which ultimately lowers the death caused due to smoking. Certain recommendations on
how to lower the smoking related mortality are focussing on intrinsic motivation, switching to e
cigarettes to leave smoking completely, attending quit smoking classes, effecting counselling,
hypnosis and medications etc. Things like nicotine replacement therapy, prescription pills,
behavioural and cognitive therapies, rehabilitation centres and group therapies, healthy diet and
exercise (Ekpu and Brown, 2015).
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References
Books and Journals
Bold, K.W., and et.al., 2018. Trajectories of e-cigarette and conventional cigarette use among
youth. Pediatrics, 141(1), p.e20171832.
Ekpu, V.U. and Brown, A.K., 2015. The economic impact of smoking and of reducing smoking
prevalence: review of evidence. Tobacco use insights, 8, pp.TUI-S15628.
Hennessey, B., Moran, S., Altringer, B. and Amabile, T.M., 2015. Extrinsic and intrinsic
motivation. Wiley encyclopedia of management, pp.1-4.
Hitchman, S.C., and et.al., 2015. Associations between e-cigarette type, frequency of use, and
quitting smoking: findings from a longitudinal online panel survey in Great
Britain. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 17(10), pp.1187-1194.
Kalkhoran, S. and Glantz, S.A., 2016. E-cigarettes and smoking cessation in real-world and
clinical settings: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet Respiratory
Medicine, 4(2), pp.116-128.
Loukas, A., and et.al., 2018. Exclusive e-cigarette use predicts cigarette initiation among college
students. Addictive behaviors, 76, pp.343-347.
McKee, M. and Capewell, S., 2015. Evidence about electronic cigarettes: a foundation built on
rock or sand?. Bmj, 351, p.h4863.
Nuttavuthisit, K., 2019. Data Analysis and Interpretation. In Qualitative Consumer and
Marketing Research (pp. 239-262). Springer, Singapore.
Pokhrel, P. and Herzog, T.A., 2015. Reasons for quitting cigarette smoking and electronic
cigarette use for cessation help. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 29(1), p.114.
Snyder, H., 2019. Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and
guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 104, pp.333-339.
Vandrevala, T., and et.al., 2017. ‘A good method of quitting smoking’or ‘just an alternative to
smoking’? Comparative evaluations of e-cigarette and traditional cigarette usage by dual
users. Health psychology open, 4(1), p.2055102916684648.
Wang, J.B., and et.al., 2018. Cigarette and e-cigarette dual use and risk of cardiopulmonary
symptoms in the Health eHeart Study. PLoS One, 13(7), p.e0198681.
Yeh, J.S., Bullen, C. and Glantz, S.A., 2016. E-cigarettes and smoking cessation.
Online
E-cigarette uses in Britain. Office for National statistics, 2020, Available through:
<https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/
drugusealcoholandsmoking/datasets/ecigaretteuseingreatbritain >
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