The latest analysis by Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) has revealed that the proportion of adults in the UK who vape is at its highest level, with the number of smokers who both smoke and vape doubling over the past three years. The number of smokers who use both cigarettes and vapes has increased from 17% in 2021 to 32% in 2024, equivalent to 2.2 million people.
According to the research, more than half of those who vape are former smokers, amounting to 3 million people. The median length of time spent using e-cigarettes among former smokers is two years, but in the last three years, more than half of vapers who were former smokers had been vaping for over three years, compared to 18% in 2017.
In response to these findings, Labour has expressed intentions to revive the former Tory government’s tobacco and vapes bill, which aims to eventually phase out cigarette smoking by banning anyone born after January 2009 from buying cigarettes. The bill may also introduce restrictions on the flavours, packaging, and display of vapes.
Health experts emphasize the importance of investing in local stop smoking services to support smokers in quitting for good, as well as addressing misperceptions about the harm of vaping compared to smoking. The Department of Health and Social Care also stresses the need to protect future generations from the harms of tobacco and nicotine, highlighting the upcoming tobacco and vapes bill as a step towards building a healthier society and economy.
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