One million UK adults who never smoked now vape

scienceOct 6, 20261236

More than one million people in the UK who say they have never tried a cigarette are now vaping, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reports for 2025, up from about 940,000 in 2024. For the second year running, more people aged 16 and over use vapes or e-cigarettes than smoke cigarettes, with 5.4 million vapers compared with about 4.9 million smokers, down from 5.3 million in 2024. People aged 25 to 34 now report the highest vaping rate of any age group, with 16.4% using e-cigarettes daily or occasionally, overtaking 16 to 24-year-olds. The ONS found the share of people who had never used an e-cigarette fell to 83.0% in 2025 from 83.4% in 2024, and overall 7.2% of people reported having used an e-cigarette, up from 6.6%. David Mais of the ONS said vapers are getting older, a trend that may reflect existing users ageing, growing popularity among that cohort, or both. The NHS said vaping is less harmful than smoking but the long-term effects are unclear and that non-smokers and those aged 17 and under should never vape, while Action on Smoking and Health described the decline in smoking as encouraging. New UK legislation coming into force next year will ban the legal sale of tobacco to anyone born on or after January 1, 2009 to create a so-called smoke-free generation.

AuThom🎃🏳️‍🌈

@mongreldog.bsky.social

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... truly cannot understand this behaviour, except for kids who were groomed to vape by tobacco companies. absolutely unhinged

268h ago

AuThom🎃🏳️‍🌈15

might fuck around and take up one of the most addictive drugs there is with almost no benefit except avoidance of the withdrawal symptoms of stopping

Enlil2

There's a general perception that it's completely harmless, and people act shocked when I sometimes have an asthmatic response around some vapes and have to escape their puff clouds.

Doomrabbit1

“I’ve never eaten meat, apart from all the sirloin”

Unofficial BBCNews (UK) Bot

@bbcnews-uk-rss.bsky.social

One million UK adults who have never smoked are now vapers

38h ago

Quoting this

Chris L2

Seeing more of them in gig venues, which is fucking annoying.

Simon Ferrigno

@brexcyclopaedia.bsky.social

Tobacco co's should've been banned from entering the market for vapes. They were never going to help people stop smoking, but capture a new market (I stopped smoking with vapes, when vapes were largely a small, start up business sector) www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

48h ago

Amanda Jeyaretnam (she/her)

@liberalisms.bsky.social

Particularly, I suspect, Women. They think it looks cool. They think they’re discreet and no-one knows they vape. The vape can be like a fashion accessory. They vape non-stop without a break, worse than chainsmoking.

27h ago

Jack London

@jacklondonbluesky.bsky.social

The sheer stupidity of our govts in allowing this entirely avoidable & predictable situation to develop makes my blood boil Vapes should only have been permitted as a prescribed aid to eliminate smoking. We've learnt nothing about addiction since the Elizabethans www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

17h ago

Charles C Cadmus

@carliecad.bsky.social

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... The lungs are very delicate organs, and anybody who thinks that vaping is “safe” will have urgent wake up calls in the future as the impact of a cocktail of chemicals and human biology create as yet untold prognosis for those who consider this habit as trendy.

8h ago

Shared Ground

@sharedground.bsky.social

Zero mention of nicotine. A drug so powerful and addictive that it was issued by the government to help soldiers move towards enemy fire. Nicotine. It is nicotine addiction. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

7h ago

LawNewsIndex.com

@thelawmap.bsky.social

More than a million people who say they have never tried a cigarette are now vapers, latest UK data for 2025 reveals, external - up from around 940,000 in 2024. People aged 25-34 are vaping more than any others, overtaking 16 to 24-year-olds, www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

7h ago

Tiredrich

@tiredrich.bsky.social

Remember when vaping was meant to be a weening tool for smoking? People saw the "healthier alternative to smoking" option and thought great, except it's like exchanging a punch in the head with a swift kick to the bollocks. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

7h ago

Simon Varwell

@simonvarwell.bsky.social

Like I've always said, it's fundamentally a medicine and should only be available on prescription to those who need them as a smoking cessation aid. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

7h ago

Roger

@plankton1975.bsky.social

This is absolutely nuts… I’ve never smoked, and I find vaping an equally unpleasant concept. We’ve still no idea about the long-term consequences. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

7h ago

Andy Rowell

@andy-rowell.bsky.social

Another damning statistic that shows that vaping is addicting people to nicotine not acting as a gateway to quitting smoking www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

4h ago

1 source

bbc.co.ukOne million UK adults who have never smoked are now vapers

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One million UK adults who never smoked now vape

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