UK Vaping Overtakes Smoking as Over a Million Never-Smokers Take Up E-Cigarettes

More than a million people across the UK who have never smoked a cigarette are now using vapes, according to newly released official figures for 2025. The data, published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), shows that approximately 1.1 million adults who report having never tried tobacco are now vaping either daily or occasionally. This marks a significant increase from the previous year, when the figure stood at around 940,000, highlighting a continuing upward trend in e-cigarette use among individuals with no history of conventional smoking.

The latest statistics reveal a notable demographic shift in vaping habits. People aged 25 to 35 are now the most frequent vapers, overtaking the 16 to 24 age group for the first time. Among this older cohort, 16.4% reported using e-cigarettes daily or occasionally. David Mais, from the ONS, commented on this changing pattern, noting that vapers appear to be getting older. He suggested this could reflect existing users aging over time, growing popularity of vaping among this age bracket, or a combination of both factors.

For the second consecutive year, the data confirms that more people over the age of 16 in the UK are using vapes than are smoking traditional cigarettes. The total number of vapers now stands at 5.4 million, compared with 4.9 million smokers. This crossover underscores a fundamental shift in nicotine consumption habits across the country. The number of cigarette smokers has continued its long-term decline, falling from 5.3 million in 2024 to just under one in ten adults in 2025, or roughly 4.9 million people.

Experts attribute the declining popularity of smoking primarily to increased awareness of the harmful effects of tobacco. Decades of public health campaigns, stricter regulations, and changing social norms have encouraged many people to quit or never start. The NHS maintains that vaping is less harmful than smoking, although it cautions that the long-term health effects of e-cigarettes remain unclear. Official guidance is clear that non-smokers and anyone aged 17 or under should never vape, regardless of the products' relative safety compared with combustible tobacco.

The ONS figures also show a continuing decline in the proportion of people who have never tried an e-cigarette. In 2025, 83.0% of respondents said they had never used one, down from 83.4% in 2024. This gradual decrease suggests that vaping is becoming more widespread across the population, not only among former smokers seeking a less harmful alternative but also among those who have never smoked at all. The rise in never-smokers taking up vaping has raised concerns among some health professionals, who worry about nicotine addiction and unknown long-term consequences.

Gender and age patterns in smoking also emerged from the data. Men were more likely than women to smoke in 2025, continuing a trend observed in previous years. The age group with the highest proportion of current smokers was those aged 45 to 54, at 12.4%. Meanwhile, young adults aged 18 to 24 experienced the largest drop in smoking rates of any age group. This suggests that while younger people are increasingly avoiding tobacco, they may be turning to vaping instead, as evidenced by the high usage rates among the 25 to 35 cohort.

Among people who currently smoke, half indicated an intention to quit. This finding points to a strong desire among many smokers to break the habit, potentially driving some to switch to e-cigarettes as a cessation aid. Additionally, 7.2% of people reported having used an e-cigarette in 2025, up from 6.6% the previous year. This rise in overall e-cigarette use aligns with the broader trend of vaping becoming more prevalent across the UK population.

New legislation is set to reshape the tobacco landscape further. A bill that becomes law in the new year will permanently ban the legal sale of tobacco to anyone born on or after January 1, 2009. The measure aims to create a "smoke-free" generation by preventing young people from ever legally purchasing cigarettes. This progressive policy is designed to phase out smoking entirely over time, building on decades of declining rates and public health efforts.

Hazel Cheeseman, from the charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), welcomed the latest statistics as evidence of encouraging progress in reducing smoking rates. She emphasized that smoking has fallen enormously over recent decades but remains the biggest driver of preventable death in the UK. Her message, "Now is the time to finish the job," reflects a determination among public health advocates to push for even greater reductions in tobacco use and to address the remaining challenges.

The rise in vaping among never-smokers presents a complex picture for policymakers and health authorities. On one hand, vaping has helped many smokers quit a far more dangerous habit. On the other, the appeal of e-cigarettes to people who have never smoked raises questions about nicotine dependency and the potential for long-term health harms that are not yet fully understood. Balancing the benefits of vaping as a harm-reduction tool with the risks of attracting new users remains a key challenge.

The ONS data also highlights that the percentage of people who have never used an e-cigarette continues to decrease, albeit slowly. The shift from 83.4% to 83.0% may seem modest, but it represents hundreds of thousands of individuals trying vaping for the first time. Combined with the increase in never-smokers who vape, this suggests that e-cigarettes are reaching beyond the population of former smokers and becoming a more mainstream activity, particularly among younger and middle-aged adults.

Looking ahead, the UK's public health strategy appears to be two-pronged: reducing smoking rates to near zero through generational bans and supporting vaping as a less harmful alternative for adults trying to quit. However, the government and health bodies will need to monitor the trend of never-smokers taking up vaping closely. If this group continues to grow, it could undermine the goal of a smoke-free generation by normalizing nicotine use in a different form.

The latest figures also show that smoking rates have fallen most dramatically among young adults aged 18 to 24. This is a positive sign that tobacco control measures are working for the youngest legal age group. Yet the high vaping rates among 25 to 35-year-olds suggest that as these young adults age, they may be transitioning to e-cigarettes rather than quitting nicotine entirely. Understanding these transitions will be crucial for designing effective interventions.

In summary, the UK stands at a pivotal moment in its relationship with nicotine. More people are vaping than smoking, and a growing number of vapers have never smoked. While smoking rates continue to decline, the popularity of e-cigarettes among never-smokers and the shifting age demographics of vapers present new challenges. The upcoming tobacco ban for younger generations represents a bold step, but its success will depend on addressing the parallel rise in vaping and ensuring that harm-reduction messages do not inadvertently encourage nicotine use among those who would otherwise avoid it altogether.