Vaping Saved Britain From 100 Billion Cigarettes, Study Claims
Advocacy group We Vape has revealed that vaping prevented up to 100 billion cigarettes from being smoked in Great Britain since 2013. Released ahead of World Vape Day on May 30, the analysis highlights how harm reduction has triggered one of the sharpest declines in modern UK smoking history.
Drawing on official data from the government, the Office for National Statistics (ONS), and Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), the group estimates that the transition to vapor products has spared British lungs from inhaling over one trillion puffs of toxic tobacco smoke.
Mark Oates, founder of We Vape, hailed the statistics as a major public health milestone. “This is the clean air victory hiding in plain sight. The UK didn’t just reduce smoking—it reduced smoke itself,” Oates stated, urging global governments to recognize the benefits of tobacco harm reduction in easing healthcare burdens.

| Metric | Baseline Year | Recent Year (2024/2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Smoking Rate | 18.8% (2013) | 10.6% (2024) |
| Adult Vapers | 1.3 million (2013) | ~5.5 million (2025) |
| Youth Smoking (Ages 18-24) | 25.7% (2011) | 8.1% (2024) |
We Vape attributes this success to vaping’s role as a viable, satisfying alternative for smokers where traditional cessation campaigns failed. The group pointed to Public Health England’s landmark assessment that vaping is significantly less harmful than smoking, while maintaining that the practice is not entirely risk-free.
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