Vaping

The latest public health evidence found that in the short and medium term, vaping is less harmful for users than smoking. Vaping, also known as e-cigarettes, is used as a stop smoking aid by Stop Smoking Services in England and evidence shows that they can be an effective support to quitting.

Messaging and advertising around vaping must be carefully considered, and appropriate regulation is essential to protect uptake in particular among young people. New uptake and trends in the prevalence of vaping, both in relation to previous smokers and those who have never smoked, and the associated health impacts need to be continuously monitored.

A series of independent reports on vaping were commissioned by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), formerly Public Health England. The conclusions were that:

• vaping is not risk-free, particularly for people who have never smoked
• evidence is mostly limited to short- and medium-term effects and studies assessing longer term vaping, for more than 12 months, are necessary
• more standardised and consistent methodologies in future studies would improve interpretation of the evidence

From 1 June 2025, the government introduced a ban on the sale of disposable vapes. This also included new powers to restrict vape flavours specifically marketed at children, and to ensure that manufacturers produce plainer less visually appealing packaging.  

New legislation set out in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will allow the government to change how vapes are displayed in shops. Vapes will be moved out of sight of children and away from products that appeal to them, like sweets. It is anticipated that these legislative changes will positively influence vaping behaviours, particularly among children and young people, by reducing product appeal, accessibility, and exposure.

View a series of independent reports on vaping on the GOV.uk website.