- Adult vaping rates have stalled at 10 per cent, while smoking remains unchanged at 13 per cent
- More than half (56 per cent) of adults now wrongly believe vaping is as or more harmful than smoking
- Teen vaping has plateaued, but youth smoking is rising – now at 21 per cent
- ASH blames misinformation and policy delays for creating a “dangerous limbo”
Vaping among UK adults has flatlined and is being overshadowed by rising public fears about its safety, according to new figures from the anti-smoking charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH).
The charity’s latest Smokefree GB survey reveals that 10.4 per cent of adults now vape – unchanged since 2024 – while smoking prevalence also remains static at 13 per cent.
Despite mounting evidence that vaping is far less harmful than smoking, ASH says public misconceptions are rising, creating a serious roadblock for smokers trying to quit.
A barrier to smokers switching
“We are stuck in a dangerous limbo,” said Hazel Cheeseman, Chief Executive of ASH. “Misconceptions about the relative harms of vaping are acting as a barrier to switching among people who smoke, meanwhile children remain exposed to products designed to appeal to them. It’s the worst of both worlds.”
The data shows more than half (56 per cent) of adults now believe vaping is equally or more harmful than smoking, up from 50 per cent in 2024. Among young people, that figure is even higher at 63 per cent.
ASH says the trend is worrying, particularly because misinformation may be putting adult smokers off from switching to less harmful alternatives. “Despite compelling evidence that vaping can be an effective tool for quitting smoking, over a quarter (26 per cent) of adults who currently smoke have never tried vaping,” the charity said.
It added that among those smokers, 63 per cent now believe vaping is as or more harmful than cigarettes, up from just 27 per cent in 2019.
The survey also found that while youth vaping appears to have plateaued – with seven per cent of 11 to 17-year-olds currently vaping, the same level as 2024 – youth smoking is on the rise.
Ever-smoking rates (having ever tried smoking, even once) in that age group have increased from 14 per cent in 2023 to 21 per cent in 2025, according to ASH’s youth survey.
Tobacco and Vapes Bill
The findings come ahead of the long-awaited Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which is set to give ministers the power to ban flavours and restrict where vapes can be sold or used.
“With the Tobacco and Vapes Bill still awaiting committee stage in the House of Lords, experts warn that the slow passage of legislation is harming both children and adult smokers,” ASH said. “Young people [are] at continued risk from vape marketing and adult smokers [are] less likely to know that vaping is less harmful than smoking.”
Critics argue that the Bill may go too far, fuelling black market sales and driving vaping underground.
ASH insists that strong regulation is essential to address youth uptake without undermining vaping’s role in smoking cessation. “We must urgently pass regulations to reclaim vaping as a quit aid, reduce youth access, and get the UK back on track to end smoking,” said Cheeseman.
Meanwhile, use of disposable vapes, which once fuelled a surge in teen experimentation, appears to be falling. This suggests some of the most acute concerns around youth vaping may already be easing.
Still, ASH warns that without a clearer public health message and stronger regulation, the UK risks stalling progress on both youth prevention and adult smoking cessation.
