The War on Smoking in the UK: Are We Too Lenient on the New Villain?

The UK has long been at the forefront of tobacco control, implementing some of the world’s strictest anti-smoking measures. However, as smoking rates have declined, vaping has surged - particularly among the young.

Recent legislation reflects growing concern about both tobacco and vaping, but the rapid rise of vaping among youth, coupled with emerging evidence of its health risks, raises questions about the consistency and effectiveness of current policies.

Current Laws on Smoking and Tobacco

The UK government has made significant strides in reducing smoking rates through a combination of taxation, public health campaigns, and legislation.

Most recently, the government has introduced the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which aims to create a "smoke-free generation" by ensuring that children turning 15 this year or younger will never legally be sold cigarettes or other tobacco products. The age of sale will be raised by one year annually, effectively phasing out smoking for future generations.

Current smokers are not affected by these changes. Those born before 1 January 2009 can still purchase tobacco products, but anyone younger will be permanently barred from legally buying them.

Enforcement is robust, with new powers for local authorities to issue on-the-spot fines of £100 to retailers who sell tobacco or vapes to underage individuals. Courts can impose fines of up to £2,500, and all proceeds from fines are reinvested into enforcement.

New and Upcoming Legislation on Vaping

Vaping regulations in the UK are evolving rapidly. From 1 June 2025, the sale and supply of single-use (disposable) vapes are banned in all UK shops and online.

This move is intended to address both environmental concerns - disposable vapes are a major source of litter - and to curb the alarming rise of youth vaping. Retailers caught selling disposable vapes face a £200 fine for first offences, with unlimited fines or jail time for repeat offenders.

The government’s broader strategy includes new powers to restrict vape flavours and packaging, and to control how vapes are displayed in shops. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, currently progressing through Parliament, will also ban vape advertising and sponsorship, further limiting their appeal to young people.

From 1 October 2026, a new excise duty of £2.20 per 10ml of vaping liquid will be introduced, while tobacco duty will also rise to maintain the financial incentive for smokers to switch to vaping.

The Rise of Vaping and Its Appeal to Young People

While smoking rates have steadily declined - falling from nearly 25% in 2005 to just over 10% in 2025 - vaping has seen a dramatic increase. The UK is expected to become the first country in the world where vaping overtakes smoking in 2025.

Among adults, vaping prevalence rose from 8.9% in January 2022 to 13.5% in January 2024, but the trend has since stalled. However, among 16- to 24-year-olds, vaping prevalence increased from 17% to 26.5% over the same period.

Disposable vapes have been particularly popular with young people. In 2024, nearly half of all adult vapers (43.6%) mainly used disposables, but this figure fell to less than a third (29.4%) a year later as the government announced its intention to ban them.

Among 16- to 24-year-olds, the proportion mainly using disposables almost halved, from 63% to 35%. Despite this, the use of disposables by young vapers remains alarmingly high, prompting the new ban.

The Health Consequences of Vaping

Vaping is frequently promoted as a less harmful alternative to smoking, and there is strong evidence that it exposes users to fewer toxicants than combustible tobacco. However, this does not mean vaping is harmless.

The NHS warns that vaping is not risk-free and is especially concerning for young people, whose developing lungs and brains are more sensitive to its effects. Vaping-related disorders range from lung damage to worsening asthma symptoms, including wheezing, coughing, and chest tightness.

The number of children admitted to hospital in England with vaping-related disorders rose from 11 to 40 in just two years, highlighting the rapid growth in youth vaping and its health impacts. In rare but severe cases, vaping has led to lung failure requiring artificial lung support (ECMO).

A 2022 study in the British Medical Journal drew parallels between current discussions about vaping and the early days of cigarette use, noting that while acute lung injury is uncommon, the long-term effects of vaping are not yet fully understood.

“Most vapes contain nicotine, which is highly addictive and poses particular risks to young people, whose brains are more susceptible to addiction, explains Kay Saffe, Clinical Director at Coastal Detox of Southern California. Illegal vapes, often available to underage users, may contain even higher levels of harmful substances or undisclosed drugs.”

Policy Contradictions: Villainising Smoking vs. Vaping

The UK government’s approach to smoking and vaping is, at first glance, balanced: strict controls on both, with vaping positioned as a less harmful alternative for adult smokers.

However, the reality is more complex. While smoking is being phased out for future generations, vaping has been allowed to proliferate, especially among young people, before being subject to meaningful regulation.

The rapid rise of vaping among youth and the associated health consequences suggest that the current regulatory framework has been insufficient.

The government’s belated crackdown on disposable vapes and restrictions on flavours and packaging are welcome, but they come after years of lax oversight that allowed vaping to become entrenched among teenagers. The NHS and public health bodies have been clear: vaping is not for children or non-smokers, and its long-term health effects are unknown.

There is also a contradiction in the messaging. “While smoking is portrayed as a public health villain, vaping is often promoted as a harm reduction tool for smokers. Yet, the health risks of vaping - especially for young people - are increasingly evident,” warns Max Doshay, Co-Founder of Monima Wellness.

Hospital admissions for vaping-related disorders are rising, and the addictive potential of nicotine in vapes is a serious concern. The government’s own data show that while the rise in vaping has stalled, rates among young people remain high.

Comparing Smoking and Vaping

Smoking (Tobacco)

Legal age of sale: 18 (phasing out for new gens)
Health risks: Well-documented: cancer, COPD, heart disease, lung disease
Prevalence (2025): ~10% of adults

Vaping (E-cigarettes)

Legal age of sale: 18 (enforced but often breached)
Health risks: Less toxic than smoking, but not risk-free: lung damage, asthma, addiction, unknown long-term effects
Prevalence (2025): ~13.5% of adults, 26.5% of 16-24s

The Way Forward

The UK’s approach to smoking and vaping reflects a tension between harm reduction for adult smokers and the need to protect young people from new forms of nicotine addiction. While the government’s latest measures are a step in the right direction, they may have come too late to prevent a generation of young people from becoming addicted to nicotine through vaping.

Public health campaigns must continue to emphasise that vaping is not for non-smokers, especially children, and that its long-term health effects are unknown. Enforcement of age restrictions and crackdowns on illegal vapes must be rigorous to prevent further harm to young people.

Avoiding the Next Public Health Crisis

The UK’s strict anti-smoking laws and the recent crackdown on vaping demonstrate a commitment to reducing nicotine addiction and its associated harms. However, the rapid rise of vaping among young people and the emerging evidence of its health consequences reveal a policy contradiction: while smoking is being villainised and phased out, vaping has been allowed to flourish among youth before being subject to meaningful regulation.

The health consequences of vaping - especially for young people - are serious and, in some cases, comparable to those of smoking. As the UK moves toward a smoke-free generation, it must ensure that vaping does not become the next public health crisis. Only by balancing harm reduction for adult smokers with robust protection for young people can the UK hope to achieve its ambitious public health goals.

Helpful Resources

Want to quit? The following resources can help you quit smoking or vaping:

Smokefree National Helpline (England)

Website: nhs.uk/smokefree

Phone: 0300 123 1044

What it offers: Free expert advice, information on local stop smoking services, and support for quitting smoking or vaping.

Quit Your Way Scotland

Website: nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/how-to-stop-smoking

Phone: 0800 84 84 84 (helpline)

Text: ‘Quit Your Way’ and your question to 07903 588 669 (SMS service, monitored 9am–4:30pm)

What it offers: Free advice, support, and signposting to local services.

Help Me Quit (Wales)