For the first time in the UK, more teenagers aged 16 and over are using vapes or e-cigarettes than are smoking cigarettes, according to the Office for National Statistics.
About 5.4 million adults use vapes daily or occasionally, while 4.9 million use cigarettes. According to a 2024 ONS survey:.
Daily use of vapes is most common among people ages 25 to 49, with increasing use among women.
The popularity of cigarette smoking has been declining over the past decade as the harmful effects of cigarettes have led many people to quit smoking, while the use of less hazardous vapes has been on the rise, especially among younger age groups.
Vaping accounts for a small portion of the risks of smoking, but The NHS saysWhen cigarettes are burned, they release thousands of chemicals, many of which are toxic and can cause cancer.
Switching to vaping reduces these risks, but the long-term effects of vaping are not yet known. Health experts say vaping is not completely harmless and children and non-smokers should never vape.
The charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) said the decline in smoking was “good news for public health” but warned that people who still smoke were “trapped in a vicious cycle of addiction that could potentially cost them their lives”.
ASH says smoking causes 70,000 deaths every year and is the leading cause of preventable death in the UK. Governments are being urged to invest in and support communities where smoking rates remain high.
ONS Opinion and Lifestyle Survey Ten percent of adults ages 16 and older currently use e-cigarettes daily or occasionally. This figure is slightly higher than the 9.1% who said they currently smoke.
The proportion of people who quit smoking increased from 70.3% in 2023 to 74.2% in 2024.
In the 1970s, less than 30% had kicked the habit. At that time, almost half of the population was smokers.
But a lot has changed since then. In 2006-2007, a ban on smoking in enclosed public places and workplaces was introduced, and in 2015, a ban on smoking in vehicles carrying children was introduced.
More recently, in 2017, plain cigarette packaging was introduced.
And the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, a government bill currently working its way through parliament, means that anyone born after January 1, 2009 will no longer be able to legally buy cigarettes in the UK.
Regulations on how vapes are packaged and displayed in stores will also be tightened due to concerns about their appeal to children.
From June, it will be illegal for businesses to sell or supply single-use or single-use vapes in the UK. The ban is aimed at reducing environmental damage and reducing the number of children and teenagers who use e-cigarettes.
The BBC understands that as part of the legislation the Government will make it illegal to sell nicotine pouches and other nicotine products to under-18s.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson told the BBC there was no limit to the strength of the pouches.
“The Tobacco and Vape Act allows us to set rules on nicotine strength, flavors and packaging to keep young people safe.”
An ONS survey found that 6.7% of people over 16 in the UK use vapes or e-cigarettes on a daily basis. This is an increase from 5.9% in 2023.
Another 3.3% said they use it occasionally.
This equates to 5.4 million current vape users, up from 5.1 million in 2023.
The proportion of daily or occasional e-cigarette users in the UK was highest among 16-24 year olds, falling from 15.8% in 2023 to 13% in 2024.
ASH CEO Hazel Cheeseman said there were still concerns about e-cigarette use among non-smokers and young people.
