The Impact of Smoking and E-cigarettes on Respiratory Health

Around 6 million people aged 18 years and over in the UK smoked cigarettes in 2023; with around 5.1 million adults aged 16 years and over (9.8%) who currently use an e-cigarette daily or occasionally in Great Britain.¹ It is estimated that smoking costs the NHS in England £2.6 billion per year.²

There may be many different reasons why individuals may choose to smoke and the number of ways in which people can smoke is increasing, especially with the recent rise in e-cigarettes and vaping amongst young people.³

Professor David Thickett presents an overview of smoking behaviour, whilst outlining harms of cigarette smoking that are not typically discussed. He also highlights the data around the impact of vaping and drug smoking on respiratory health with reference to the benefits and concerns around the long-term use of e-cigarettes.

Please also consider watching the on-demand video ‘Smoking Cessation Engagement: A Patient Perspective’ by Suzanne Cass, to understand more about the benefits of smoking cessation services and the opinion of patients who have accessed such services.

References

1. Office for National Statistics. Adult smoking habits in the UK: 2023. https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/healthandlifeexpectancies/
bulletins/adultsmokinghabitsingreatbritain/2023

2. NHS England. Guide for NHS trust tobacco dependence teams and NHS trust pharmacy teams. https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/guide-for-nhs-trust-tobacco-dependence-teams-and-nhs-trust-pharmacy-teams/

3. Tattan-Birch, Harry et al. Trends in vaping and smoking following the rise of disposable e-cigarettes: a repeat cross-sectional study in England between 2016 and 2023. July 2024. The Lancet Regional Health – Europe, Volume 42, 100924.

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• Professor David Thickett

  Professor in Respiratory Medicine, Department of Inflammation and Ageing

  Read biography
  Professor David Thickett

  Professor in Respiratory Medicine, Department of Inflammation and Ageing University of Birmingham

  Role and Location
  David Thickett trained in Oxford and London. He was a specialist registrar in the South West region before doing his DM thesis on ARDS in Bristol. He was initially appointed as a Senior Lecturer in 2001 at University of Birmingham and then became a Wellcome Intermediate Fellow in 2006. He was appointed as a Reader in 2011 and promoted to Chair in Respiratory Medicine in 2014.

  Education
  MA (Oxon) DM FRCP

  Research Interests
  Prof. Thickett’s research interests are predominantly in the areas of primary lung epithelial and macrophage biology, murine models of acute lung injury, epithelial mesenchymal transition and translational clinical trials to prevent and treat acute lung injury and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. He has been and continues to be a co-investigator or principal investigator on a number of clinical trials successfully obtaining an MRC DCS grant for 2 clinical trials of vitamin D therapy to prevent lung injury following oesophagectomy.

  Professor Thickett has over 300 hundred existing publications in the field of Respiratory.

  Memberships
  – Associate Editor of Thorax (2011-2015)
  – Respiratory Trainee training committee member 2006-ongoing
  – Birmingham and the Black Country Respiratory Research Lead