12% of Europeans have used e-cigarettes: 2% are currently using them15 and a further
3% have used them in the past but no longer do so, while 7% have tried them in the
past but have never used them regularly. It seems that there has been an increase in the
use of e-cigarettes within recent years in Europe; in 2012, 7% of respondents had tried
the products.
Europeans who have used e-cigarettes are likely to have done so to try to stop or reduce
their tobacco use. Two-thirds said stopping or reducing their use of tobacco was an
important factor (67%). More than four out of ten said the fact they could smoke in
places where tobacco smoking is not allowed was an important reason for trying or using
e-cigarettes (44%). The fact that e-cigarettes are attractive, cool and fashionable was
important for 24%. This was very similar for both smokers and non-smokers.
Almost half (45%) said using e-cigarettes had not reduced their tobacco smoking at all, while 21%
said they reduced, but did not stop, their tobacco use. Around one in seven said using ecigarettes
helped them to stop smoking tobacco completely (14%), while a further 13%
said the use of e-cigarettes helped them stop for a while, but they then started smoking
tobacco again.
Source : Eurobarometer 2015