Nearly 40% of Belgians see picking up vaping as a good way to drop their smoking habit, according to a new survey conducted on behalf of a major tobacco multinational.
Out of the around 2 million smokers in Belgium, the proportion of those who use an electronic cigarette has been annually increasing by around 10%, the survey by Insites Consulting shows.
The results of the study showed that 38% of respondents cited quitting tobacco as the main reason they would start vaping, with nearly as many (32%) saying it was because they thought e-cigarettes were better for health, De Morgen reports.
A representative population sample of 737 Belgians who smoked both conventional and electronic cigarettes was questioned for the survey, conducted by the consulting firm for the Be-Lux branch of global tobacco giant British American Tobacco.
Euromonitor data cited in the study shows that around 250,000 to 300,000 people in Belgium are currently vaping, with the survey finding that over a quarter of respondents found e-cigarettes to be less harmful to human health.
A total of 32% said e-cigarettes did not contain any tar and 28% said they could contain less nicotine than conventional ones, additionally, 28% considered smoking e-cigarettes to be less expensive than smoking regular cigarettes.
E-cigarette use and its consequences on human health have made the headlines in Belgium in recent months after doctors in Brussels said they suspected a teenager was the first person in Belgium to die from his use of the electronic cigarette.
Gabriela Galindo
The Brussels Times
