There are now more vapers over the age of 16 than smokers, an Office for National Statistics survey has found. Its survey for 2024 suggests that there are now 5.4 million adults who vape daily or occasionally, compared with 4.9 million who smoke cigarettes.
Vaping daily is most common among 25-49-year-olds and rates among women rising. The popularity of cigarette smoking, meanwhile has been falling over the past decade, with the harmful effects of tobacco encouraging many to quit. Vaping, especially among younger demographics, has been rising.
Vapers face a small fraction of the risk of smoking, according to the NHS. This is because cigarettes release thousands of chemicals when they burn, many of which are carcinogenic. Switching to e-cigarettes reduces that risk but its long-term effects are not yet known. Health experts say it is not completely harmless, adding that children and non-smokers should never take it up.
The fall in smoking is “good news for public health,” Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) said, warning that those who are still smoking “are trapped in a cycle of addiction that will likely take their lives.”
Smoking is responsible for 70,000 deaths every year, ASH said, adding that it is the leading cause of preventable deaths in the country. It is calling on the government to invest in and support the communities rates of smoking are still high.
The ONS’s Opinions and Lifestyle Survey, suggests that as many as 10% of people 16 and older are daily or occasional vapers, slightly higher than the 9.1% who say they are smokers. The number of those who say that they have quit smoking has risen to 74.2% in 2024, up from 70.3% in 2023.
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