For the first time in the United Kingdom, the number of adults who vape has surpassed the number of cigarette smokers, according to new figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). A record 5.4 million adults in the UK now regularly use e-cigarettes, outnumbering the 4.9 million who smoke. This landmark shift underscores a significant change in public health trends, with only 9.1 percent of British adults smoking in 2024, a notable decrease from nearly 50 percent in the 1970s.

The ONS data, which has been compiled into an interactive map, highlights a decade-long trend of declining cigarette use. This decline is largely attributed to the introduction of modern anti-smoking laws and public health campaigns. Measures such as selling cigarettes in plain packaging, mandatory graphic warning labels depicting severe health effects on all tobacco products, and the banning of smoking in restaurants, pubs, and nightclubs have significantly contributed to the reduction in smoking prevalence. The smoking rate has dramatically fallen from 45 percent in the 1970s, to 20 percent in 2011, and then to 14 percent in 2020. England has set an ambitious goal to become completely smoke-free by 2030, with various governmental policies already in place to achieve this.

While smoking rates have plummeted, e-cigarette use has seen a steady rise. In 2024, 10 percent of adults aged 16 and over in Great Britain reported being e-cigarette users. Daily e-cigarette use also increased, with an estimated 6.7 percent of people aged 16 and over reporting daily use, up from 5.9 percent in 2023. Interestingly, 2.7 percent of individuals who had never smoked reported using e-cigarettes daily or occasionally, indicating a new demographic adopting the habit.

The demographic patterns of e-cigarette use show that it remains highest among younger adults. People aged 16 to 24 years had the highest proportion, with 13 percent using e-cigarettes either daily or occasionally. Daily e-cigarette use was most prevalent among those aged 25 to 34 years and 35 to 49 years, at 9.3 percent and 9.5 percent respectively, with rates rising in both age groups from 2023. A notable trend indicates that women are increasingly driving this shift; vaping rates among women increased by almost a fifth in a year, reaching 10 percent in 2024, up from 8.5 percent in 2023. Conversely, the proportion of men who vape daily or occasionally decreased from 11 percent in 2023 to 10.1 percent in 2024.

Despite the ban on sales of vapes to under-18s, which carries threats of fines and prosecution by Trading Standards, campaigners have expressed significant concerns. They advocate for much tougher regulations, including an immediate ban on marketing targeted at children, whom they believe are lured by predatory manufacturers through colorful packaging resembling highlighter pens and child-friendly flavors like bubblegum and cotton candy. Meanwhile, the highest proportion of current smokers in the UK in 2024 (12.6 percent) was found among those aged 25 to 34 years, while adults aged 18 to 24 years saw the largest reduction in smoking prevalence, dropping from 25.7 percent in 2011 to 8.1 percent in 2024.

The health implications of vaping remain a subject of debate and concern. While NHS chiefs suggest vaping is safer than smoking, it is not without risks. E-cigarettes contain harmful toxins, and their long-term effects are largely unknown. Experts are particularly worried about the high nicotine content potentially increasing blood pressure and causing other heart problems. Doctors have also voiced fears about a potential wave of lung disease, dental issues, and even cancer in the coming decades, especially among individuals who began vaping at a young age. The World Health Organization (WHO) has labeled the evidence surrounding e-cigarettes as 'complex,' stating that vapes cannot yet be recommended as a reliable method for smoking cessation due to insufficient data on their long-term harms and benefits.