Why Do People Vape?

James Tytko sets out to find out why vaping has boomed in recent years. He took a microphone to a pub to discuss the impact of vaping on some people smoking habits...

James - Chris has tasked me with finding some views given the vaping boom we've seen in recent years. I've brought a microphone to a pub to discuss the impact of vaping on some people smoking habits.

James - Will, you've got a vape in your hand there. Before you started vaping, did you smoke cigarettes regularly?

Will - Not regularly, but I would classify myself as a social smoker. Especially on a night out, after having a few drinks, I would definitely say having a few cigarettes was quite nice, but since having recently purchased vapes somewhat regularly, I would say that it's much nicer than having a couple of cigarettes on a night out.

James - How regularly have you been vaping

Will - Past two months? A fair bit. Since then I've maybe purchased four or five. That would be the numbers on it. For me, it's maybe something that I might enjoy through the summer and then I ween myself off it. I just won't buy any and that will kind of be it, I suppose.

James - Then I spoke to Tommy.

James - So Tommy, you were a bit more of a smoker than Will before you started vaping. Would that be fair to say?

Tommy - Yeah, I think that's probably fair.

Will - Obviously.

James - And over the past six months you've picked up vaping?

Tommy - I'd say over the past two months.

James - Similar sort of level to will?

Tommy - No, probably more. You can't really put figures on it. Because each vape has a different amount in.

James - And finally, Sam, you've smoked the odd cigarette. Are you at all tempted to take up vaping?

Sam - No, not vaping.

James - To summarise this less than scientific research into smoking habits, those who were partial to smoking cigarettes have found vaping to be an enticing alternative. Sam, on the other hand, who had never really smoked cigarettes, was not interested in taking it up. I'm interested in what Will had to say especially. A self-proclaimed social smoker, vaping turned his nicotine consumption from a once in a every so often kind of thing into more of a daily habit. Some of the worries surrounding the explosion in popularity in vaping over the past couple of years is that it might coax some younger people, those who aren't that interested in taking up smoking cigarettes, into picking up vapes, given the smaller, but not as yet completely understood health implications. And then there's those like Will who are part-time smokers for whom vapes have become a much easier thing to reach for.