The surge in vaping since 2021, when disposable e-cigarettes became popular in England, Wales, and Scotland, appears to have stopped. A recent UCL study released by Cancer Research UK in collaboration with researchers from University College London, found that the number of cigarette smokers among adults aged 19 and over has increased by almost a quarter each year since 2022, while the proportion among young people has been relatively stable. Between 2022 and 2024, the proportion of people who vape increased by nearly a quarter each year. However, when the Government announced plans to ban disposable e-cigarettes in January 2024, the number of people using them decreased by half, according to the research.
The government’s action has also had a significant impact on the attitudes towards vaping. While vaping(|vaping) continues to be used by a small number of people aged 19 and over, much notably by adults who consume it as a restantial smoking tool. Amongenting adults, half of them never smoked, but now 37% of them use Disposable e-cigarettes regularly.
The NHS is actively promoting the use of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation tool, even as concerns have surfaced among many younger users about their access to and awareness of the technology. Experts are discussing how to strike a balance between encouraging the use of vaping in young people and the need to reduce smoking rates among older adults and those who never smoked.
The UK government has launched a landmark review into the long-term health effects of vaping, bringing together researchers, policymakers, and the public to better understand the risks and benefits of this ancient and dangerous form of smoking. The review of 10-year-long monitoring of 100,000 young adults aged 8-18 found that the proportions of people using and vape nearly remained stable, indicating that the trends in vaping rates haven’t improved as much as previously hoped.
In January 2024, a ban on disposable e-cigarettes will go into force in 1 June 2024. The aim was to reduce the proportion of people who use these products, citing health benefits from vaping. However, experts warn that this policy change may have too broad or too narrow of a impact, potentially causing unintended consequences or discouraging people who have never smoked from starting vaping.
The study by University College London identified a substantial decline in the proportion of vapers among young adults when the ban was introduced, with the number dropping from 63% to 35%. The government’s actions have brought significant changes, but they are not without consequences. The analysis by UCL found that despite the ban, vaping rates among adults continued to rise while among young adults remained relatively stable. However, the trend of increasing vape rates holds only until the 2025 survey, where the number had recovered.
In summary, the government’s ban on disposable e-cigarettes has led to a stabilization in vaping rates, but their impact on individual users is muddied by policy changes and concerns about their accessibility and awareness. It is crucial to ensure that such changes do not impact young people and the smoking cessation trajectory for older adults.
