▁a ▁ban ▁on ▁sm oking . ▁Public ▁Health ▁England ▁advis es ▁hosp it als ▁to ▁let ▁patients ▁va pe ▁ind o ors ▁- ▁and ▁even ▁in ▁bed . ▁▁▁ ▁On ▁ 2 ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁the ▁Wel sh ▁Government ▁published ▁a ▁public ▁health ▁white ▁paper ▁in ▁which ▁it ▁proposed ▁a ▁ban ▁on ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁e - c igare tt es ▁in ▁public ▁spaces . ▁ ▁The ▁Bill ▁was ▁subsequently ▁defeated . ▁ ▁The ▁annual ▁Sm oke free ▁GB ▁survey , ▁published ▁in ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁concluded ▁that ▁ 5 2 % ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 . 9 ▁million ▁British ▁e - c ig aret te ▁users ▁are ▁now ▁ex - sm ok ers . ▁ 2 6 % ▁of ▁respond ents ▁thought ▁e - c igare tt es ▁were ▁as ▁harm ful ▁as ▁real ▁c igare tt es . ▁In ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁it ▁was ▁reported ▁by ▁The ▁Te legraph ▁that ▁the ▁UK ' s ▁e - c ig aret te ▁bo om ▁is ▁in ▁decl ine , ▁with ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁people ▁using ▁e - c igare tt es ▁in ▁Britain ▁decre asing ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁since ▁their ▁launch . ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁now ▁ 3 . 5 ▁million ▁v apers ▁in ▁England ▁and ▁most ▁of ▁these ▁are ▁either ▁ex - sm ok ers ▁or ▁people ▁who ▁are ▁trying ▁to ▁quit ▁using ▁an ▁e - c ig aret te . ▁V aping ▁electronic ▁c igare tt es ▁has