One Million Never-Smokers in England Vape, Study Finds

A recent study published in The Lancet Public Health journal has found that one million people in England now vape despite never having been regular smokers, a seven-fold increase in just three years. This alarming trend has prompted health experts to call for stricter regulation of e-cigarettes.

Sharp Rise in Vaping Among Never-Smokers

The study, led by researchers at UCL, analyzed survey data collected between 2016 and 2024 from 153,073 adults in England, of whom 94,107 had never regularly smoked tobacco. The findings revealed that the proportion of never-regular-smokers who vaped remained stable until 2021, when one in 200 (about 133,000 people) were vapers. However, this figure increased dramatically to one in 28 (1,006,000 people) by 2024.

Separate figures from the Office for National Statistics also showed that 5.1 million people aged 16 or over in Britain – about one in 10 – use e-cigarettes. Vaping rates were highest among those aged 16 to 24, at 15.8%.

Health Experts Express Concern

Prof Nick Hopkinson, a respiratory physician and chair of Action on Smoking and Health, acknowledged that while vaping has helped millions of adults quit smoking and is less harmful than smoking, it is not risk-free. He expressed concern over the high levels of use among young people and the growing use among never-smokers.

Prof Sanjay Agrawal, the Royal College of Physician’s special adviser on tobacco, called for “urgent action” to tackle the rise in vaping among young people and those who had never smoked. He emphasized the importance of ensuring that the use of e-cigarettes does not create new public health risks, particularly among children.

Young Adults Drive the Increase

The Lancet study found that the dramatic increase in vaping among never-smokers was largely driven by young adults, with one in seven 18- to 24-year-olds (14%) in England who never regularly smoked now using e-cigarettes. Most of these individuals were vaping daily and over a sustained period.

The researchers warned that banning disposable vapes, which the government plans to do, was unlikely to fix the problem because some brands had already launched reusable products. Instead, they suggested stricter regulation to make the products less appealing.

Calls for Stricter Regulation

Prof Jamie Brown, a senior author of the study, emphasized the need for action to minimize vaping among young people who have never previously smoked while avoiding deterring smokers from using e-cigarettes to quit. He suggested that a sensible next step would be to introduce stricter regulation around product appearance, packaging, and marketing, as these measures are less likely to reduce the effectiveness of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation compared to measures like flavor bans.

The study also found that in recent years, people who had never regularly smoked but were vaping tended to be younger, more were women, and more were drinking at increasing or higher-risk levels. They also tended to have been vaping for longer, were more likely to use disposable devices and the highest-strength nicotine e-liquids, and bought products from supermarkets or convenience stores.

Public Health Impact Depends on Alternative Behaviors

Dr Sarah Jackson, the lead author of the study, noted that the public health impact of the substantial rise in vaping among never-smokers will depend on what these individuals would otherwise be doing. While some may have smoked if vaping were not an available option, making vaping clearly less harmful, for those who would not have gone on to smoke, vaping regularly over a sustained period poses more risk than not vaping.

Additional Studies Highlight Potential Tobacco Control Measures

Two additional studies published simultaneously in the Lancet Public Health concluded that accelerating measures to eliminate tobacco smoking could help boost life expectancy and prevent millions of premature deaths worldwide by 2050. Another study suggested that banning the sale of tobacco to people born between 2006 and 2010 could prevent 1.2 million deaths from lung cancer worldwide by 2095.

The Department of Health and Social Care stated that while vapes can be an effective way for adults to stop smoking, they have always been clear that children and adult non-smokers should not vape. The upcoming Tobacco and Vapes bill aims to protect future generations from the harms of tobacco and nicotine, saving thousands of lives and easing pressures on the NHS.

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Matthew Ma

Marketing at Ecigator

With over a decade of experience in the e-cigarette industry, Matthew Ma is a seasoned expert in both the manufacturing and usage aspects of vaping products. His extensive background has provided him with a deep understanding of the intricacies and evolving dynamics of e-cigarettes.