造成这种现象的主因之一，在于大众对电子烟与传统纸烟相对风险的普遍误解。调查显示，英国有近五分之一尝试戒电子烟的人采用纸烟作为戒烟手段，且高达四分之三的吸烟者误以为电子烟的危害等于甚至大于传统纸烟。尽管电子烟蒸气含有微量有害化学成分，但传统香烟燃烧产生的焦油、砷等大量致癌物质，其身体危害性远远高于不涉及燃烧过程的电子烟。
此外，传统烟草文化在社群媒体与名人效应带动下重获社交认同感，加剧了年轻族群对传统香烟危害警觉性的降低。许多年轻使用者未曾经历过去反烟宣传的黄金年代，甚至可能在尝试借由纸烟戒电子烟的过程中演变成双重成瘾，同时受到纸烟与电子烟的尼古丁控制，进一步大幅提升罹患心血管与呼吸道疾病的风险。
A growing number of e-cigarette users are turning to traditional cigarettes in an effort to quit vaping, arguing that the unpleasant smell and inconvenience of smoking help deter frequent use. Some even hand-roll cigarettes to make the habit more cumbersome. However, addiction researchers strongly advise against this strategy, emphasizing that switching from a less harmful product to a far more dangerous combustible product causes tremendous health damage.
This counterintuitive trend is heavily fueled by widespread misconceptions regarding the relative health risks of vaping versus smoking. Surveys indicate that nearly a fifth of UK vapers trying to quit have turned to cigarettes, with three-quarters of smokers wrongly believing vapes are just as or more harmful than traditional cigarettes. While vapor carries traces of toxins, it lacks the tar, arsenic, and combustion byproducts responsible for the severe harm caused by burning tobacco.
Compounding the issue is the resurging cultural and social acceptability of smoking among youth, driven by celebrity aesthetics and social media influencers normalizing casual cigarette use. Younger generations who grew up without witnessing aggressive anti-smoking campaigns often underestimate the perils of combustible tobacco, frequently resulting in a dangerous dual addiction where individuals end up smoking and vaping simultaneously.