Health

Vaping Surpasses Smoking Among UK Adults, 2025 Data Shows

By Today News Hours Editorial Desk

More than one million UK adults who have never smoked are now vaping, according to 2025 data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The figure rises from about 940,000 in 2024. People aged 25‑35 now vape more than any other group, overtaking 16‑24‑year‑olds, with 16.4 % using e‑cigarettes daily or occasionally. For the second consecutive year, the number of adults over 16 using vapes or e‑cigarettes exceeds those who smoke cigarettes. Smoking has fallen to 4.9 million adults, or nearly one in ten, down from 5.3 million in 2024, while vaping users total 5.4 million. The NHS notes vaping is less harmful than smoking, though long‑term effects remain unclear, and advises non‑smokers and those under 17 should not vape. The proportion of people who have never used an e‑cigarette fell to 83.0 % in 2025 from 83.4 % in 2024. ONS analyst David Mais said the trend of older vapers may reflect existing users aging, growing popularity among the 25‑34 age group, or both. New UK legislation, effective next year, will ban the legal sale of tobacco to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 to create a “smoke‑free” generation. Hazel Cheeseman of Action on Smoking and Health welcomed the decline in smoking rates, noting that smoking remains the largest preventable cause of death in the UK and that the time is right to finish the job. In 2025, men were more likely to smoke than women, and the 45‑54 age group had the highest smoking prevalence at 12.4 %. The largest drop in smoking was seen among 18‑24‑year‑olds. Of those still smoking, half intended to quit. E‑cigarette use rose to 7.2 % from 6.6 % in 2024.