The UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) raised concerns over new data showing a sharp rise in youth smoking. According to Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), the proportion of 11–17-year-olds who have ever smoked jumped from 14% in 2023 to 21% in 2025.
While youth vaping rates remain steady at one-in-five, UKVIA Director General John Dunne called the uptick in youth smoking “deeply troubling” and urged urgent action.
“We need a national licensing scheme to crack down on rogue retailers selling age-restricted products to minors,” said Dunne, adding that enforcement is currently “patchy” and penalties are too lenient.
The survey also highlights growing public misperceptions: over half of adult smokers now believe vaping is as harmful or more harmful than smoking, up sharply from previous years. Dunne called for a national campaign to correct misinformation and reaffirmed vaping as “the UK’s most effective quit aid” for adult smokers. Despite challenges, 10% of UK adults—around 5.5 million—now vape.
