More than 2million adults now regularly use the tobacco-free devices (Picture: PA)

Smokers are turning to e-cigarettes in their droves, new research suggests.

More than 2million adults now regularly use the tobacco-free devices – three times as many as in 2012.

And despite fears that e-cigarettes are a route into smoking real tobacco, only one per cent of non-smokers polled by YouGov and Ash have tried ‘vaping’.

Deborah Arnott, chief executive of Ash, said: ‘It is important to control advertising of e-cigarettes to make sure children and non-smokers are not being targeted.


‘But there is no evidence from our research that e-cigarettes are acting as a gateway into smoking.’

The poll also suggests e-cigarettes have overtaken nicotine patches and gum as the most popular aid for quitting.



But two in three e-cigarette users still use tobacco regularly, with an intent to reduce the amount they smoke.

Charles Hamshaw-Thomas, a director at E-Lites, said: ‘Tobacco sales in Britain are falling, as well as sales of nicotine replacement products which, as research shows, have had limited success.

‘The big e-cigarette companies are keen to work together with the government to draw up codes for advertising, bans on sales to children and continued research on product quality and safety.’

Prof Robert West, who led the study, added: ‘Despite claims that electronic cigarettes risk renormalising smoking, we found no evidence to support this.

‘On the contrary, e-cigarettes may be helping to reduce smoking.’