While the e cigarette industry battles with blinkered legislation and the often uneducated bias against e smoking (something which has been proven to be a significantly cleaner smoking alternative) it would appear that the e cig market is expanding in the best possible way regardless.

Research suggests that over the past twelve months a staggering five hundred thousand tobacco smokers have moved over to e smoking in a bid to try and stop their harmful tobacco smoking habit. This balances with information released by ASH (the Action on Smoking and Health group) who claim that the number of e smokers in the UK in 2014 was approximately 2.1million whereas that number has now grown to over 2.6 million.

ASH, a campaign group reported that they felt these figures were encouraging in that they showed in real terms how e cigarettes are indeed helping smokers quit their tobacco smoking habit. They did however voice concerns over how recent months have shown that the number of people believing (wrongly) that e cigarettes are "worse", "dangerous" or "more harmful" than tobacco cigarettes had risen by 7%, numbers increasing from 15% in 2014 to as much as 22% in 2015.

While e cigarette retailers and manufacturers are not allowed to claim or advise that their products are better or healthier than tobacco cigarettes the very fact that WHO (the World health Organisation) has classified tobacco smoking as highly dangerous and cancer causing yet refuses to classify e smoking as such tells a tale of its own.

While WHO have some reservations about e smoking, many of which have already been discredited by ongoing research they appear to be waiting until such a time when the level of research around e smoking has reached a substantial enough level over a long enough period of time to determine its safety and benefits.

It is hoped that the wealth of research being released in favour of e smoking as a viable and healthier alternative to e smoking will be enough to combat the negativity and bias against the industry coming from some corners of the health profession and anti-smoking groups; bias not it must be said based on any fact.

Why Are People Turning to E Cigarettes

Research also indicates that there are a number of reasons why tobacco smokers are moving over to e smoking. One of the main reasons which came apparent via studies undertaken by researchers at King's College London was due to a wish to quit smoking (68% questioned) with 38% also / additionally answering that they felt e smoking offered an effective way through which ex-smokers would be able to prevent themselves from returning to regular tobacco smoking.

One concern the anti-smoking campaigners have voiced is the worry that e smoking will lure non-smokers into smoking, it being an attractive and popular (trendy) alternative. With studies showing that as few as 0.2% of those enjoying the e cigarette alternative previously being a non-smoker this seems to be unfounded.

Many professionals across a number of specialties are voicing concerns that the public are not being given access to pertinent information that shows the benefits of e smoking over tobacco smoking and that this is something that should be rectified. Clearly however many are making their own mind up as the number of smokers turning to e cigarettes for a number of reasons is on the rise.