One million people in England vape despite never having smoked regularly, study finds

Researchers suggest stricter regulation as one in 10 people in Britain aged 16 or over now use e-cigarettes

One million people in England now vape despite never having been regular smokers, a seven-fold increase in just three years, according to research that has prompted alarm among health experts.

Rates of e-cigarette use among adults who had never regularly smoked were stable until 2021, when one in 200 - about 133,000 people - were vapers. However, the proportion has increased sharply to one in 28 in 2024 - 1,006,000 people - a study published in The Lancet Public Health journal suggests.