Steep fall in young smokers in past decade

Fewer than one out of every 10 young adults in the UK smoke cigarettes – a steep drop from a quarter of 18-24-year-olds 12 years ago, according to official estimates.

Smoking rates among UK adults have been falling over the past decade, with nearly 12%, or six million people, smoking in 2023, the Office for National Statistics says.

Separate ONS figures show e-cigarette or vape use continues to rise, with the highest rate, nearly 16%, among 16-24 year-olds.

E-cigarettes can help people quit smoking, and are much less harmful than inhaling tobacco smoke from cigarettes, but non-smokers are advised not to start vaping.

In 2023, according to ONS figures, the percentage of adults who smoked was:

• 11.6% in England
• 12.6% in Wales
• 13.5% in Scotland
• 13.3% in Northern Ireland

That’s down from 20% of UK adults smoking in 2011.

Cigarettes contain many dangerous chemicals and are known to be bad for health, raising the risk of a host of diseases, including lung disease, heart disease, stroke and cancer.

Legislation to tightly control the sale of cigarettes to young people was interrupted by the election.

The previous Conservative government planned to prevent those born in or after 2009 ever buying cigarettes legally.

The new Labour government has said it will broadly continue with the same plans, while also looking at banning smoking outdoors, in pub gardens for example.

This is all part of a commitment to make England “smoke free” (smoking rates lower than 5%) by 2030.

A toughening of rules around the marketing and sale of e-cigarettes is also planned, alongside a ban on disposable vapes, targeting teenagers and young people.

E-cigarettes contain no tobacco but can contain nicotine and small quantities of other chemicals, inhaled into the lungs during vaping.

There is little evidence on the long-term health effects of vaping, particularly for those who have never smoked.

The ONS estimates 16-24-year-olds were more likely to use an e-cigarette than any other age group (15.8%) in Great Britain, in 2023.

But the use of vapes had risen most, since 2022, among 25-34-year-olds.

About 5.1 million people in the country used a vape or e-cigarette in 2023 – 5.9% of people aged 16 and over vaped every day, up slightly from the previous year, while another 3.9% did so occasionally.

Chief executive of public-health charity Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) Hazel Cheeseman said despite progress, there was still much to be done.

“Alongside creating a smoke-free generation, the government must maintain the commitment of the last government to invest in support to help the six million people currently smoking to quit,” she said.

Respiratory physician Prof Nick Hopkinson, who chairs Ash, called for the government to pass its Tobacco and Vapes Bill into law as soon as possible.

“We need to reinforce the role of vaping as a tool to stop smoking, not a lifestyle accessory,” he said.