This fact sheet analyses how behaviour and attitudes to e-cigarettes among adults aged 18 and over have changed over time.
The data are taken from an annual survey, Smokefree GB, carried out for ASH by YouGov. The survey first started asking about e-cigarette use in 2010 and this update includes the results of the 2021 survey carried out in February and March 2021.1 Set out below is a summary of the key findings.
USE AND AWARENESS OF E-CIGARETTES
• Having fallen last year for the first time, the proportion of the adult population using e-cigarettes has increased this year to 7.1%, the same as in 2019, amounting to 3.6 million people. (Table 1)2
• Nearly two thirds of current vapers are ex-smokers (64.6%), and the proportion continues to grow, while the proportion who also smoke (known as dual users) has fallen to 30.5% in 2021.3 (Figure 1)
• The proportion of adult smokers who have never tried e-cigarettes is continuing to decline slowly to 30.1% in 2021, while the proportion of smokers who are current users has been stable.4 (Figure 2)
• Fewer than 1% of never smokers are current vapers (amounting to 4.9% of vapers).
Action on Smoking and Health UK – 2021-06-28.
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