iBreathe, an Oldham-based seller of electronic cigarette products, have reacted to official findings released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) which show that e-cigs are not leading to more people taking up smoking.

The data from the ONS shows that people who currently use e-cigarettes are almost exclusively current or ex-smokers, with fewer than 1 in 300 e-cig users reporting that they had never smoked before.

The study also reveals that the number of smokers in the UK has fallen from 46% in 1974 to 19% as of 2014 and that the number of women smokers fell from 19% in 2012 to 17% in 2013.

Married people were almost twice as likely to not smoke as unmarried people, the ONS discovered, as well as showing that smoking was higher amongst unemployed people and those who work manual jobs.

“E-cigarettes are almost exclusively used by smokers and ex-smokers. Almost none of those who had never smoked cigarettes were e-cigarette users,” an ONS spokesperson explained.

Prof Kevin Fenton, National Director of Health and Wellbeing at Public Health England, said: “Balanced and effective regulation of e-cigarettes will help manage the risks and maximise the potential for these products to replace smoking – greatly reducing smoking related disease that kills nearly 80,000 people in England every year.”

Dr Penny Woods, Chief Executive of the British Lung Foundation, said: “These data should again alleviate the fears expressed by some over an e-cigarette gateway effect – people trying e-cigarettes before moving on to the much more harmful practice of smoking. However, this is something we’ll need to keep a watchful eye on, as the situation may well change as e-cigarettes continue to become more commonplace.”

IBreathe, a leading UK e-cig seller, often share their thoughts on breaking industry related news and research. They believe that the studies show that some of the concerns expressed over e-cigarettes are reactionary.

A spokesperson for iBreathe said: “The findings from ONS are in line with our own experiences as a seller of e-cigarettes, liquids and accessories. While there has been a lot of reactionary concern over non-smokers and children taking up e-cigs, we don’t know of a single customer of ours who isn’t a current or ex-smoker. E-cigarettes are used primarily, practically exclusively, by people who have already quit using tobacco or who want to stop smoking tobacco.

“Hopefully these new findings will encourage people, from governments to lobbyists, to have a more reasoned and fact-based discussion on the pros and cons of electronic nicotine delivery systems.”

iBreathe sell electronic cigarette kits, premium e-liquid, replacements and accessories. They’re based in Oldham, England but deliver throughout the UK. Visit www.i-breathe.co.uk for more information.