Why Vaping Is Better Than Smoking: What the Evidence Shows
Smoking kills approximately 75,800 people in the UK every year. That is one person every seven minutes. It costs the public purse £16.5 billion annually. [1, 2] Vaping is not risk-free, and the NHS is clear that non-smokers and young people under 18 should never vape. But for adults who currently smoke, the evidence from the NHS, Public Health England, and the Cochrane systematic review is consistent: switching to vaping significantly reduces exposure to the toxins that cause smoking-related disease, and vaping is the most effective quitting tool currently available in the UK.
This article sets out the data. Every statistic is sourced.
Where the UK Stands on Smoking in 2024
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), 10.6% of UK adults (approximately 5.3 million people) currently smoke cigarettes. This is the lowest proportion recorded since the ONS began tracking the data in 2011, when 20.2% of adults smoked. [3]
A significant milestone was reached in 2024: for the first time, the number of adults who vape (5.4 million, or 10.0%) overtook the number who smoke (4.9 million by the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey measure). [3]
Despite the progress, 5.3 million people still smoke. Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the UK. [4]
The Health Impact of Smoking
The numbers are stark. According to Cancer Research UK:
- Tobacco caused an estimated 75,800 deaths in the UK in 2021: around 11% of all deaths from all causes [1]
- It caused an estimated 37,700 cancer deaths in the UK in 2021: a fifth of all cancer deaths [1]
- There were an estimated 57,200 cancer cases caused by smoking in the UK in 2023 [1]
- Smoking accounts for 14% of all cancer cases in the UK [1]
The economic cost is equally significant. ASH (Action on Smoking and Health) estimates that smoking cost England's public finances £16.5 billion in 2024: more than double the £6.8 billion raised through tobacco taxes, leaving a net loss to the public purse of £9.7 billion. The total cost to society, including lost productivity and social care, is estimated at £43.7 billion annually for England alone. Around 230,000 people in the UK are currently unfit to work due to smoking-related illnesses including cancer, heart disease, COPD, and diabetes. [2]
In England, one person is admitted to hospital every minute due to smoking. [5]
Where in the UK Smokes the Most?
Regional smoking rates have shifted significantly over the past two decades. A study published in the journal Addiction in 2025, using Smoking Toolkit Study data from 368,057 adults in England between 2006 and 2024 and led by researchers at University College London (UCL), found:
- The North of England saw the largest reduction: rates nearly halved from 28.8% to 15.8% over 18 years [6]
- The Midlands fell from 25.2% to 16.0% [6]
- The South of England fell the least, from 22.7% to 17.3% [6]
Individual regions show striking patterns. Between 2006 and 2024:
| Region | Smoking rate 2006 | Smoking rate 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| North West | 28.3% | 15.7% | -12.6 pp |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 30.0% | 16.0% | -14.0 pp |
| North East | 27.4% | 16.0% | -11.4 pp |
| Midlands (avg) | 25.2% | 16.0% | -9.2 pp |
| South West | 16.0% | 18.7% | +2.7 pp |
| South East | 15.4% | 16.8% | +1.4 pp |
| London | 15.8% | 17.0% | +1.2 pp |
The North made the fastest progress, but the UCL study also found that smoking rates slowed or reversed in some southern regions between 2020 and 2024. The North East in particular, once the region with the highest smoking rate in England, has seen the largest absolute fall since 2005: a 62% reduction. [7]
The researchers linked the steeper declines in the North partly to sustained regional tobacco control programmes, particularly the Fresh campaign in the North East, which launched in 2005 as the UK's first dedicated regional tobacco control programme. Regions without such programmes, including the East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, and South East, saw smaller reductions. [6]
Is Vaping Safer Than Smoking?
The NHS is explicit on this point: "Evidence shows that vaping is less harmful than smoking. Vaping exposes users to fewer toxins and at lower levels than smoking cigarettes. Switching to vaping reduces your exposure to toxins that can cause cancer, lung disease, and diseases of the heart and circulation like heart attack and stroke." [8]
In 2022, UK health experts reviewed the international evidence and concluded that "in the short and medium term, vaping poses a small fraction of the risks of smoking." [8]
The original 2015 Public Health England review, the most widely cited analysis, estimated that e-cigarettes are around 95% less harmful than tobacco. [9] A 2018 update from what is now the UK Health Security Agency reaffirmed this estimate, adding that the risk of cancer from vaping is calculated to be less than 1% of that from smoking. [10]
It is worth understanding why the difference is so large. Cigarettes produce harmful toxins through the combustion of tobacco. Tobacco smoke contains over 7,000 chemicals, at least 250 of which are harmful and up to 70 of which cause cancer. [4] Vaping heats an e-liquid containing propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine, flavourings, and nicotine, without combustion. It does not produce tar or carbon monoxide. The toxins that are present in vapour are found at significantly lower levels than in cigarette smoke.
Nicotine itself is not the cause of smoking-related disease. As the NHS states: "Nicotine itself does not cause cancer, lung disease, heart disease or stroke." [8] It is the other chemicals in tobacco smoke that cause almost all the harm.
Vaping is not risk-free. The long-term effects of sustained vaping are not yet fully known. The NHS recommends vaping only for adults who currently smoke, as a tool to quit. Non-smokers, young people, and pregnant women should not vape. [8]
Is Vaping Effective for Quitting Smoking?
Yes, and more effective than nicotine patches or gum. A 2024 Cochrane systematic review (the highest standard of clinical evidence) covering 78 randomised controlled trials in over 22,000 participants found high certainty evidence that nicotine e-cigarettes are more effective than nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) at helping people quit smoking for at least six months. [11]
The data from the Cochrane review is concrete:
- For every 100 people using nicotine e-cigarettes to quit: 8 to 11 successfully quit
- For every 100 people using NRT (patches, gum): 6 successfully quit
- For every 100 people with no support: 4 successfully quit [11]
Real-world UK data supports this. ASH data from 2024 found that 65% of people who gave up smoking in the last five years said they used a vape in their last quit attempt, equivalent to 2.7 million people. [12] In stop smoking services between 2020 and 2021, quit attempts involving a vape had the highest success rate: 64.9%, compared with 58.6% for attempts that did not involve a vape. [12]
The NHS also notes that "almost two-thirds of people who use a vape along with support from their local Stop Smoking Service successfully quit smoking." [8]
The UK government has recognised this evidence. In 2023, as part of the 'Swap to Stop' scheme, the government announced that one million people who smoke would be encouraged to switch to vapes, with vape starter kits provided alongside behavioural support: a world first in national public health policy. [12]
Who Should Consider Switching?
The evidence is aimed at adults who currently smoke and want to reduce harm or quit entirely. The NHS guidance is clear:
- If you currently smoke, switching to vaping reduces your exposure to the chemicals that cause smoking-related disease
- You get the full benefit only if you switch completely. Continuing to smoke alongside vaping reduces the harm reduction benefit significantly
- Vaping is not recommended for non-smokers, people who have never smoked, or anyone under 18
- If you are pregnant, vaping is considered safer than continuing to smoke, but stopping entirely is always the aim
For smokers considering the switch, finding the right device and nicotine strength is important. Most people switching from cigarettes start with an MTL (mouth-to-lung) device at 20mg nic salt, which most closely replicates the draw and nicotine delivery of a cigarette. Our beginner's guide to vape kits covers which type of device suits different needs, and our nicotine strength guide explains how to choose the right mg based on your smoking habit. Browse prefilled pod kits, refillable pod kits, or the full vape kits range.
Summary
| Claim | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Vaping exposes users to fewer harmful toxins than smoking | Confirmed | NHS, 2024 [8] |
| Vaping poses "a small fraction of the risks of smoking" in short to medium term | Confirmed | UK expert review, 2022 [8] |
| PHE estimate: e-cigarettes "around 95% less harmful" than tobacco | Widely cited estimate, based on expert assessment | PHE, 2015 [9]; UKHSA, 2018 [10] |
| Nicotine does not cause cancer, lung disease, heart disease or stroke | Confirmed | NHS [8] |
| Vaping more effective than NRT at helping people quit | High certainty evidence | Cochrane Review, 2024 [11] |
| 65% of recent ex-smokers used a vape in their quit attempt | Confirmed (UK adults, 2024) | ASH, 2024 [12] |
Sources
- Cancer Research UK. Tobacco statistics. Updated 2024. cancerresearchuk.org
- ASH. Economic impact of smoking. 2024. ash.org.uk
- Office for National Statistics. Adult smoking habits in the UK: 2024. Published November 2025. ons.gov.uk
- ASH. Facts at a glance. February 2026. ash.org.uk
- Cancer Research UK News. Tobacco kills one person every five minutes. May 2023. news.cancerresearchuk.org
- Jackson SE et al. Trends in smoking prevalence and socioeconomic inequalities across regions in England: a population study, 2006 to 2024. Addiction, 2025. doi.org/10.1111/add.70032
- South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust. North East smoking rates fall to second lowest in the country. stsft.nhs.uk
- NHS. Vaping to quit smoking. Better Health. nhs.uk
- Public Health England. E-cigarettes around 95% less harmful than tobacco estimates landmark review. 2015. gov.uk
- UK Health Security Agency. Key questions and findings from our e-cigarette evidence update. 2018. ukhsa.blog.gov.uk
- Lindson N et al. Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2024, Issue 1. cochranelibrary.com
- Global Action to End Smoking. A Smokefree UK? How research, policy and vapes have cut smoking rates. Briefing paper, 2024. globalactiontoendsmoking.org
