New data shows the number of vapers who have never smoked tobacco has increased 7-fold in three years to reach one million

Research suggests that around 1 million people in England who have never smoked traditional cigarettes vape.

Vapes, or e-cigarettes, available in a variety of flavors and colorful packaging, are being advertised by the NHS as a helpful way to steer people away from more harmful traditional tobacco products.

But experts have raised concerns about a significant increase in the number of never-smokers using devices that continue to deliver addictive nicotine.

The results of a study published in the prestigious journal Lancet Public Health suggest that in just three years the number of people in this group has increased sevenfold, to 1 million.

The estimate, calculated by experts at University College London (UCL), is more than double the figure of 400,000 ‘never smokers’ vapers that the Office for National Statistics (ONS) pegged across the UK in 2023.

Like the ONS, UCL found that young adults, especially women, are the driving force behind growth.

Worryingly, they said the government’s proposals to curb vaping habits in the UK are unlikely to succeed.

Before 2021, the proportion of people who had picked up a vape but had been smoking for less than a year in England was low, only around 200 people.

However, by April this year this had risen to almost one in 25, equating to around one million people in England.

As the study showed, more than half of them, almost 600,000, are people aged 18 to 24.

Their research shows that as many as one in seven men aged 18 to 24 who have never smoked currently use vaporizers.

The researchers also found that the sharpest increases occurred in the segment of the population classified as heavy drinkers.

More than a fifth of this subset of the population has vaped, even though they have never touched a cigarette.

This compared to just one in 100 “never smokers” who did not drink at all using these devices.

However, the authors suggest that it may still, at least partially, have a positive impact on public health.

They explained that there is a subset of the never-smoking population that would turn to cigarettes instead if vaporizers were not available.

They added that this was particularly true for heavy drinkers, and previous research had shown that this group was generally more likely to start smoking.

Scientists have also observed other general changes in vaping habits among people who have never smoked in recent years.

This included an increase in the number of young women using these devices, as well as increased use of the highest strength nicotine e-liquids.

But experts added that banning disposable vaporizers, as the UK government is currently planning to curb vaping among children, is unlikely to solve the problem.

They said many brands have already launched reusable products in the market.

Instead, they suggest that the government should introduce stricter regulations on making products less attractive.

Senior author Professor Jamie Brown, an expert in behavioral science at UCL, said: “These findings are a reminder that action is needed to minimize vaping among young people who have never smoked before.

“However, a balance is needed to ensure that smokers are not discouraged from using e-cigarettes to quit smoking.

“Banning single-use items, as the UK government is currently planning, is unlikely to solve the problem as popular brands have already launched reusable products with very similar designs and prices.

“A sensible next step would be to introduce stricter regulations on product appearance, packaging and marketing, as these are less likely to reduce the effectiveness of e-cigarettes in smoking cessation – unlike flavor bans, for example.”

He added that the data also suggests that the meteoric rise in the number of vapers who have never smoked has started to level off from 2023, a reassuring sign that potential policy could have an impact on this trend.

The study analyzed survey data collected between 2016 and 2024 from 153,073 adults (aged 18 or over) in England, 94,107 of whom had never smoked tobacco regularly.

People were classified as never smokers if they told researchers that they had never smoked for a year in a row or more.

Fellow author Dr Sarah Jackson, also an expert in behavioral science at UCL, added: “The public health impact of this significant increase in vaping among people who have never smoked regularly will depend on what these people would otherwise be doing .

“It is likely that some people would smoke if vaping was not an available option.

“In this case, vaping is clearly less harmful.

“However, for those who would not smoke, vaping regularly for long periods of time poses a greater risk than not vaping at all.”

Professor Peter Hajek, a clinical psychology expert at Queen Mary University of London who was not involved in the study, agrees.

“Some people have genes and circumstances that make them like nicotine products,” he said.

“Traditionally they ended up smoking, but some are now discovering vaping without ever becoming a smoker. If vaping didn’t exist, they would smoke.”

He added: “Just published ONS figures show that the smoking rate in the UK is below 12 per cent, which is the lowest level on record.

“If much less risky alternatives are allowed to continue to compete with cigarettes, tobacco smoking and the heart disease, lung disease and cancers it causes will also continue to decline.

“Efforts are needed to reduce youth use of nicotine products, but if more adults, as well as teenagers, start vaping instead of smoking, that could be good news.”

While it is commonly believed that vaping is safer than smoking, vaping is not without risks. E-cigarettes contain harmful toxins and their long-term effects remain a mystery.

Experts fear the high nicotine content may increase blood pressure and cause other heart problems.

Doctors have also expressed concerns that in the coming decades, people who start smoking at a young age could experience a wave of lung disease, dental problems and even cancer.

In April, one shocking study warned that e-cigarettes may increase the risk of heart failure. Another suggestion is that vaping causes cellular changes that can cause cancer.

Earlier this year, MailOnline also revealed that the number of adverse vaping-related side effects reported to UK regulators has now exceeded 1,000, with five of them resulting in death.

E-cigarettes and vaporizers allow you to inhale nicotine in the form of vapor, which is created by heating a liquid that usually contains propylene glycol, glycerin, flavors, and other chemicals.

Unlike traditional cigarettes, they do not contain tobacco and do not produce tar or carbon – the two most dangerous elements.