Don’t shut off smokers’ escape route, Labour MPs warn ministers

Speaking in a Commons debate on 15 October, Mary Glindon called for tougher action against illegal sellers while preserving adult access to vapes.

“Giving smokers a safer way to stop is a choice worth protecting,” said the Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend MP.

Falkirk MP Euan Stainbank, who said alternatives had helped him stop smoking, warned that restricting flavours could undermine quitting. Both MPs raised concerns about the impact of regulation on specialist retailers.

Advertising ban planned for June

Public health minister Dame Diana Johnson said ministers intended to introduce the advertising and sponsorship ban covering tobacco, vaping and nicotine products from 1 June 2027.

She said the proposed measures sought to protect children while maintaining smokers’ access to vapes.

Johnson also announced that bans on vape vending machines and free distribution would begin on 29 October, alongside extending the minimum sales age of 18 to all nicotine and vaping products, including nicotine-free vapes.

Millions still need help to quit

The debate comes after official figures showed UK smoking rates falling below one in 10 adults for the first time. Office for National Statistics data put smoking prevalence at 9.8 per cent in 2025, down from 10.6 per cent a year earlier. That still leaves around 4.9 million adults smoking.

Progress also remains uneven. Among working-age adults, 16.9 per cent of those in routine and manual occupations smoked, compared with 5.9 per cent in managerial and professional roles.

Meanwhile, misunderstanding about vaping remains widespread among the people who could benefit from switching.

Action on Smoking and Health’s 2026 survey found that 52 per cent of smokers in Great Britain wrongly believed vaping was as harmful as smoking or more harmful. Among smokers who had never tried vaping, that rose to 61 per cent.

Those beliefs were associated with less interest in trying a vape, even if offered free by a health professional.

The same survey found that 60 per cent of adults who currently vape were former smokers, equivalent to around 3.3 million people. Among former smokers who had quit within the past five years, 58 per cent said they had used a vape to help them stop.

Why access to vapes counts

The NHS identifies nicotine vaping as one of the most effective tools for stopping smoking. Its guidance says people using nicotine vapes are roughly twice as likely to quit as those using nicotine replacement products such as patches or gum.

Switching reduces exposure to the toxic substances responsible for much of smoking’s harm. Vape aerosol does not contain most of the harmful chemicals found in tobacco smoke, including tar and carbon monoxide.

Vaping also offers a way to manage cravings while retaining some of the familiar routines of smoking, including the hand-to-mouth action. The NHS advises smokers to seek help from a specialist vape shop or stop-smoking service to find a suitable device and nicotine strength.