Data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveals that smoking among young adults has significantly declined over the past decade in the UK. The figures show that fewer than one in ten young adults (those aged 18-24) in the UK smoke cigarettes, down from 25% in 2011. Furthermore, smoking rates among UK adults as a whole have also fallen, with nearly 12% or six million people smoking in 2023. The highest rate of vape use, almost 16%, was among 16-24-year-olds.
ONS data also reveals that the percentage of adults who smoked in 2023 was 11.6% in England, 12.6% in Wales, 13.5% in Scotland, and 13.3% in Northern Ireland. This is a significant drop from the 20% of UK adults smoking in 2011. Public health charity Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) welcomed news of “significant progress” but warned that there was “still much to be done” to create a smoke-free generation. The charity’s CEO Hazel Cheeseman stressed the importance of government investment in support for quitting.
E-cigarettes can be highly effective in helping people quit smoking, with non-smokers advised not to start. However, there is still little evidence on the long-term health implications of vaping, particularly for those who have never smoked. The new Labour government has pledged to make England smoke-free by 2030, and is set to ban smoking outdoors and introduce tougher regulations on the marketing and sale of e-cigarettes.
Respiratory physician Professor Nick Hopkinson, who chairs Ash, stated that the role of e-cigarettes in smoking cessation needed to be reinforced. He called upon the UK government to expedite the passage of its Tobacco and Vapes Bill into law
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