The growing trend of the Vape and E-Cigarette industry is no secret, with reports that the global vapour and E-cigarette products market now worth an estimated £17.1 billion (up from £4.2 billion just five years ago). With over 2.8 million Vape or E-Cigarette users in the UK alone, it is now a mainstream trend amongst the general public.
As the younger age group of 18-25-year olds take up most of the market share (around 28%), there is a common misconception that E-cigarettes and Vaping is purely for the younger generation. However the biggest rise in e cigarette users is in the 45-54 age group with an increase of 13% in 2016 to 20% in 2018 of the Vaping and E-Cigarette market. This represents an astounding 53.8% increase in 45-54-year olds in just 2 years!!
Regarding these statistics, Roshida Khanom the associate director of beauty and personal care at Mintel, said: “Over the last couple of years the proportion of vapers has increased with a particular rise in 45-54s, despite public concerns around vaping amongst young people.
“This increase in vapers among middle-aged Brits may be reflective of them joining what they consider a fashionable trend. Our previous research shows that 45-54s are the age group that are most likely to agree that vaping is fashionable (71%).”
WHY ARE SO MANY PEOPLE USING VAPING?
There are various factors behind the growing user trends of the middle- aged demographic. First the huge positive shift of perception about the e-cigarette industry. According to research from Mintel on smoking cessation and E-Cigarettes, 71% of the 45-54 age group now see vaping and E-Cigarettes as “fashionable”, a stark contrast to opinions on the industry just a few years back.
Companies such as SMOKO have tailored a new sector in the industry towards a more stylish, refined and realistic range of products for the middle-aged group, hence the new trendy observation of the industry.
It also helps that there is emerging evidence that e-cigarettes are as effective as nicotine patches and gum. For those smokers who have tried both, and found themselves back smoking, vaping offers a new alternative. As E-cigarettes have the same throat hit as a cigarette, and the taste too, it can be easier for longer term smokers to make the switch to vaping.
VAPING A HEALTHIER ALTERNATIVE
With the increased research into the industry, there has been extensive evidence of Vaping and E-Cigarettes being a safer option than cigarettes. Public Health England recently stated that "e-cigarettes are at least 95% less harmful than traditional cigarettes. In addition, The Royal College of Physicians claim that "e-cigarettes have the potential to make a major contribution towards preventing the premature death, disease and social inequalities in health that smoking currently causes.”
As an influence of such supportive claims from the leading medical experts, the motivation to switch from cigarettes rises. According to the Journal of Gerontological Nursing 2018 “Of 498 older smokers, 75% wanted to quit smoking cigarettes and 60% had tried e-cigarettes”. Showing proof of the direct correlation between the increase in middle aged cigarette quitters and e-cigarette users.
Cancer Research UK also agrees, stating that according to their research e-cigarettes are much better than smoking.
ARE E-CIGARETTES CHEAPER THAN TOBACCO?
The 45-54 age group are known as the “Maximize Savings Group” due to their propensity to contribute their savings towards pensions and retirement.
A recent survey by the BBC of people aged between 45 and 54 and their saving plans after investment company Blackrock stated, “theirs was the age group most concerned about their future finances”.
"The cost of living's going up, and the cost of wages isn't," said one man, while another said, "I don't think in the future I'll have money".
Will Railton from Blackrock stated “The financial pressures of children and ageing parents mean that 45 to 54-year-olds are more likely than any other groups to be saving nothing for retirement. Those who belong to the “sandwiched generation” – so called because they face a perfect storm of financial pressures, which include supporting children, ageing parents and other demands simultaneously – are more likely to be saving nothing for their retirement than any other age group."
With all this in mind it make sense that the middle age group are switching to E-cigarettes, as they are cheaper than cigarettes and give the same feel and taste as the tobacco they are used to.
Brewin Dolphin and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) calculated that if a 45-year-old saved £2.50 a day (the price of a coffee) they would accumulate £625 a year. If saved into a pension and benefiting from even basic rate tax relief (20%), that sum would have grown to £23,915 by the time they reached 65, assuming annual growth of 2% and inflation of 1.6%.
If we use the Brewin calculation in regards SMOKO (Switching to an E-Cigarette like SMOKO from a standard cigarette brand could save you £8 a day), this works out to saving £2920 a year. Meaning if saved into a pension and benefitting from even basic rate tax relief (20%), that sum would have grown to £111,730.88 by the time they reached 65 (considering annual growth of 2% and inflation increase of 1.6%).
ARE E-CIGARETTES BETTER FOR YOU THAN SMOKING?
There are many healthy risks associated with this age group, like heart disease which is the biggest killer in the age group for men. When you smoke, it makes your heart do extra work due to an increase in resting heart rate, possibly rising to dangerous levels. Additionally, cigarettes harms blood vessels and reduces oxygen to the heart, making any exercise extremely difficult meaning smoking for individuals in this age group put them at an even further risk of heart disease.
According to Bupa, 35% of British 45-54 years old are obese, and 27% suffer from depression (that’s a 73% increase in middle age men with a mental health problem since 2006). Such daunting health statistics and problems within this age group may make people more health conscious.
Here at SMOKO we eliminate at least 99% of the chemicals and toxins that are found in traditional cigarettes, which has been found to improve the health of users physically and mentally, as seen in our previous blog:
Beyond the stats, most people in this age group have seen a parent or friend be affected by a smoking related disease which would also prompt them to start looking for healthier alternatives.
So considering the reasons discussed above, it is no wonder there has been a dramatic increase in usage of Vapes and E-Cigarettes for the 45-54 age group. With its health and financial benefits, why wouldn’t you give it a try? Why not try a SMOKO Starter Kits today!
