In May 2016, a survey was conducted in Germany by the Institute of Medical Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics (IMBEI) in collaboration with Forsa, an opinion research booth. In conclusion, the electronic cigarette is gaining popularity in the country with more than a million registered vapers.
THE USE OF THE E-CIGARETTE WITHIN THE POPULATION IS NOT NEGLIGIBLE
For this survey, 4002 people aged 14 and over were interviewed at random, asked if they used electronic cigarettes with or without nicotine and if they intended to try it. The whole being to analyze smoking behavior and socio-demographic characteristics.
1,4% of respondents said they regularly use electronic cigarettes, and 2,2% have used them in the past. According to the survey, 11,8% had tried them at least, including 32,7% of smokers and 2,3% of people who had never smoked. Regarding the potential danger of e-cigarettes, 20,7% of respondents consider that electronic cigarettes are less dangerous than conventional cigarettes, 46,3% that they are also dangerous and 16,1% more dangerous still.
Extrapolation of this data to the general population suggests that around one million people regularly use e-cigarettes in Germany, and 1,55 million more have tried in the past. In conclusion, if the consumption of electronic cigarettes in Germany is not very widespread, but it is not negligible either. Almost 1 in 8 Germans have tried e-cigarettes at least once. Regular consumers of e-cigarettes are almost exclusively smokers and ex-smokers.
PROGRESSION OF THE E-CIGARETTE SINCE 2014-2015
This survey also shows that compared to the 2014 and 2015 studies, there is a considerable increase (between 50% and 100%) in the user pool. However, compared to current UK results, regular e-cigarette use remains rare in Germany, a 2014 Europe-wide study found that Germany had a lower number of users the average for the rest of Europe.
Regarding the figures, it is found that 32,7% of German smokers have already used electronic cigarettes, which contrasts sharply with the 64% found in the UK. In 2015, the number of smokers using e-cigarettes was only 19% in Germany when the EU average was 30%.
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USE LIMITED TO SMOKERS AND EX-SMOKERS
The results of the study also provide information on the potential benefits of e-cigarettes as an aid in reducing or quitting smoking. We also find data which confirms the fact that the e-cigarette is not a gateway to smoking.
According to the survey, electronic cigarettes are used on a regular basis by a population made up almost exclusively of smokers and ex-smokers. Almost half of smokers who have used e-cigarettes reported doing so to quit smoking, and for a quarter of smokers, e-cigarettes are add-ons to smoking. The experimental use of the e-cigarette is more frequent among non-smokers in the group of students and young people than among others. However, regular use is rarer and the most common reason given for this use is "curiosity".
With one million regular users in Germany, e-cigarette consumption is gaining popularity and becoming more and more relevant. Users are almost all smokers or ex-smokers who quit smoking as of 2010.
Source : Aerzteblatt.de (See the full report)
