Vaping among 11–17-year-olds in the UK has hit record highs, now outpacing smoking by 47%, data from Action on Smoking Health (ASH) reveals.
Almost one in ten children in that age range was either smoking or vaping in 2025, with, 2.6% smoking but not vaping compared to 4.2% who vaped but didn’t smoke.
A further 2.8% reported dual use of smoking and vaping, as the stats suggest teenage nicotine use in Britain is shifting away from traditional smoking and towards vaping.
“While these products are obviously less harmful than cigarettes, they’re still addictive and they’re still not risk free, particularly when you’ve got young developing bodies,” said John Waldron, Policy and Public Affairs Manager at Action on Smoking and Health (ASH).
Between 2013-2025, the proportion of 11–17-year-olds who reported smoking but not vaping halved, dropping from 5.3% in 2013 to 2.6% in 2025.
In contrast, the amount of young people who both smoked and vaped increased by more than 350%, rising from 0.6% to 2.8%.
The most striking change can be seen among those who vaped but did not smoke, with numbers surging from just 0.1% in 2013 to 4.2% in 2025 — an increase of more than 4,000%.
“Vaping – current and occasional vaping – is much higher among young people,” Waldron said. “It’s more visible and I think it’s just more novel.”
Further data from 2025 ASH research backs this up, revealing that in 2013, just 3.8% of young people had ever vaped and 0.8% currently vaped.
By 2024, more than one in five 11-17-year-olds reported having ever vaped – a fivefold increase compared with 2013.
Current vaping rates rose from 0.8% to 7.2% over the same period, a ninefold increase.
“Pretty much all my friends vape now – at parties everyone has one,” said a 16-year-old from Crouch End, north London, who asked to remain anonymous.
The generational tobacco ban and why vapes aren’t included
In April, the UK government passed a bill – dubbed the Tobacco and Vapes Act – in a bid to reduce smoking and vaping rates among young people, creating a “smoke-free generation”.
The most widely publicised part of the legislation – the generational sales ban, which prohibits the sale of tobacco to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 – will come into force on 1 January.
The act aims to prevent young people from becoming lifelong smokers by limiting access to tobacco during adolescence and early adulthood, when occasional or experimental smoking can develop into regular use.
“By cutting off that cohort from being able to purchase tobacco it means that will disappear and those people will not go on to be long-term regular smokers,” Waldron said.
Vapes have not been included in the generational ban, a decision backed by ASH despite the data.
Waldron added: “Our survey shows that just over half of adults who quit smoking in the last five years, did so using a vape. So, these products are playing a really important role in accelerating the decline in smoking prevalence.
“For us, the primary focus needs to be reducing smoking rates across the whole population and addressing youth vaping but not preventing adults from using these products to quit smoking.”
NHS England research shows that smokers under the age of 18 had the lowest success rates of quitting – with 43% remaining smoke-free four weeks after referral – between April 2024 and March 2025.
This is significantly lower than the next age group – 18 to 34-year-olds – who had a success rate of just over half.
The age group with the highest success rate were reportedly those aged 60 and over with a two-thirds success rate, suggesting that older smokers have a better chance of quitting.
Therefore, instead of banning vapes entirely, the tobacco act will attempt to discourage young people from using vapes by prohibiting the advertisement of these products and regulating flavours, packaging and in-store product displays.
Additionally, the government will enforce a minimum age of sale of 18 for all zero-nicotine vapes and consumer nicotine products (like pouches).
Government predicts long term benefits
Supporters of the legislation argue that preventing smoking uptake among younger generations will have significant long-term health benefits.
By 2100, the government predicts that the generational ban will have prevented over 150,000 deaths and almost 500,000 cases of stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and other lung diseases.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting, said: “For too long, smoking has claimed lives, widened inequalities and placed avoidable pressure on our health services.
“This law changes that trajectory – protecting young people from ever starting, while backing current smokers with the support they need to quit for good. A smoke-free generation is now within reach, and this government is determined to deliver a healthier, fairer future for everyone.”
Among those in this age category who do smoke, prevalence varies significantly between different demographic groups.
NHS data from 2023 shows that 10% of boys aged between 11-15 years of age had ever smoked compared to 11% of girls and a staggering 27% of non-binary students in England.
A report from BMC Health, published April 2026, found that “gender-diverse adults in Great Britain experience substantially higher smoking prevalence and greater tobacco addiction”.
While the quit attempt rates were broadly similar across groups, motivation to quit generally appeared lower among gender-diverse people who smoke.
Although the study focused on adults, the findings raise questions about whether similar barriers may affect younger gender-diverse people.
The academic non-profit’s findings highlight the need for inclusive, equity-focused tobacco control strategies that address the specific barriers faced by gender-diverse communities.
While it will take years to assess the full impact of the legislation among under 18’s in the UK, Waldron’s overall feelings are ones of optimism.
He said: “This is a really world-leading policy, which, as far as we’re concerned, will close the door on the tobacco epidemic in the UK once and for all.”
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