New data from Action on Smoking and Health UK (ASH UK) found more than half of ex-smokers in Great Britain who quit in the past five years—amounting to 2.7 million adults—used a vape in their last quit attempt.
Further, it revealed the main motivations for vaping amongst current smokers included “cutting down on smoking,” “protect others from the risk of second-hand smoke” or “to help them quit.”
ASH UK also reported that misperceptions around vaping are at an all-time high, with 50 percent of smokers wrongly believing vaping to be as or more harmful when compared with smoking.
The new data also found that, while current and ever use of vaping amongst young people has decreased between 2023 and 2024, under 18s are still accessing these age-gated products.
“The latest figures from ASH UK once again highlight the stop smoking credentials of vaping for adults and reinforce the instrumental role these products have and must continue to play in stubbing out the health burden of smoking for good,” said UKVIA Director General John Dunne in a statement.
“That said, if vaping is to reach its full potential in supporting the smokefree ambition, action must be taken to address growing misperceptions about the less harmful alternative which are no doubt being exacerbated by mainstream media scare stories and some mixed messaging in the public health sphere. This could be achieved through the introduction of national public education campaigns which arm adults with the best, science-backed information to help them quit.