The research shows that amongst the over-16 population, 10.0% vape daily or occasionally while only 9.1% are smokers. This equates to around 5.4 million and 4.9 million people, respectively. It is worth noting that there is a significant crossover between these groups (with nearly a third of smokers also using a vape); however, no specific total number of unique smokers/vapers was provided by the ONS.
These findings have had a mixed reception.
These findings have had a mixed reception. Given smoking’s well-documented deadly consequences, its continued decline in popularity has been well-received. Hazel Cheeseman, the chief exec of ASH (an anti-smoking charity), welcomed the news: “The fall in smoking rates in the UK is an achievement at a time when European trends in smoking have stagnated”.
However, the continued rise in vapers since records began in 2014 has been less well-received. Neither was the finding that the number of vapers who have never smoked a cigarette had risen to around 400,000 people (or 1.3% of the never-smoked population).
These trends are viewed negatively primarily because of concerns regarding the unknown long-term health consequences of vaping, its addictive nicotine component, and the gateway that it may present to smoking.
This is broadly why successive governments have sought to regulate the growing vape and nicotine product market.
Given that this survey was conducted in 2024, the potential impact of this summer’s single-use vape ban is not reflected in these statistics. It’s worth noting that this ban was just a legislative opening salvo, however.
The government intends to go much further...
The government intends to go much further and is proceeding through the House of Lords with the Tobacco and Vapes bill, originally presented by Rishi Sunak. Should it pass, this bill will allow the state to regulate the strength, flavour, and marketing of vapes (along with the increasingly popular nicotine pouch).
However, the ultimate purpose of this legislation is to make it illegal for those born after 2008 to ever buy a cigarette. Therefore, the combined decades-long trend and significant legislative action will almost guarantee that vapes will remain the dominant nicotine product for the foreseeable future.