For the first time, more people over 16 in the UK use vapes or e-cigarettes than smoke cigarettes, according to the Office for National Statistics.
About 5.4 million adults vape daily or occasionally, compared with 4.9 million who use cigarettes. The ONS 2024 study suggests.
Daily vaping is most common among people aged 25–49, with use increasing among women.
The popularity of cigarette smoking has fallen over the past decade as the harmful effects of tobacco have prompted many to quit, while the less risky use of vaping has grown, especially among younger age groups.
Vaping poses only a small portion of the risks associated with smoking. NHS saysbecause cigarettes, when burned, release thousands of chemicals, many of which are poisonous 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, so children and non-smokers should never smoke.
The charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) said the reduction in smoking was “good news for public health” but warned that those who still smoke are “trapped in a cycle of addiction that is likely to claim their lives”.
ASH reports that smoking is responsible for 70,000 deaths every year and is the leading cause of preventable death in the UK. He calls on the government to invest in and support communities where smoking rates remain high.
ONS Opinion and Lifestyle Survey suggests that 10% of adults ages 16 and older currently smoke e-cigarettes every day or occasionally—slightly more than the 9.1% who say they currently smoke.
The number of people who said they had quit smoking increased: 74.2% in 2024, up from 70.3% in 2023.
Back in the 1970s, less than 30% gave up this habit. At that time, almost half the population were smokers.
But a lot has changed since then. A ban on smoking in enclosed public places and workplaces was introduced in 2006-2007, followed by a ban on smoking in cars with children in 2015.
Most recently, in 2017, plain cigarette packaging was introduced.
And government legislation currently before Parliament, called the Tobacco and Vaping Bill, will soon mean that anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 will not be legally allowed to buy tobacco in the UK.
Regulations on the packaging and display of vaping devices in stores will also be tightened due to concerns that the devices are attractive to children.
Companies have been banned from selling or supplying disposable vapes in the UK since June. The ban aims to reduce environmental damage and reduce the number of children and youth vaping.
The BBC understands that as part of the bill, the Government will ban the sale of nicotine pods and other nicotine products to under-18s.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman told the BBC there were no restrictions on the strength of these bags.
“The Tobacco and Vaping Bill will allow us to set rules on nicotine concentrations, flavors and packaging to keep young people safe.”
ONS research shows that 6.7% of people aged 16 and over in the UK smoke vapes or e-cigarettes daily, up from 5.9% in 2023.
Another 3.3% say they use it occasionally.
This equates to 5.4 million current vaping users, up from 5.1 million in 2023.
Daily or occasional use of e-cigarettes remained highest among 16–24 year olds in the UK in 2024, at 13%, up from 15.8% in 2023.
Hazel Cheeseman, chief executive of ASH, said there were still concerns about non-smokers and young people taking up vaping.
