Number of young adults vaping triples in two years as nicotine use soars but ... trends now

The number of 18 to 24-year-olds vaping has tripled in two years, driven by the emergence of disposable devices, a study has found.

Researchers from University College London examined data on vaping and smoking for 132,252 people in England from 2016 to May last year.

They found that, while smoking continues to decline across all ages, vaping was on the rise – particularly among under 25s, in which the proportion who said they vaped rose from 9 per cent in May 2021 to 29 per cent in May 2023. 

It meant that overall nicotine use rose from 28 per cent to 35 per cent, blamed on the popularity of disposable vapes.

Dr Ian Walker – executive director of policy at Cancer Research UK, which funded the study – said: 'This shows a concerning increase in the number of young adults using vapes since disposables came on the market in the UK.'

The rising number of people vaping coincides with another study which suggests it may expose teenagers to toxic metals that could harm the brain and other vital organs.

The risk could be even higher in sweet e-cigarette flavours which are typically favoured by youngsters.

Experts said the findings underscore the need for tighter regulations and prevention efforts to stop the targeting of teens.

The analysis involved 200 US teenagers, aged 13 to 17, who were categorised as either frequent, intermittent or occasional vapers.

Usage was determined by the average number of puffs per day, ranging from 27 puffs, 7.9 and 0.9 puffs respectively.

Biomarkers in the urine were then assessed for the presence of the metals lead, uranium and cadmium.

Both frequent and intermittent e-cigarette users had higher lead levels in their urine than those who vaped occasionally, the study found.

Frequent vapers also had higher levels of uranium in their urine compared to occasional users.

Different vape flavours effected the uranium levels, according to the findings published in Tobacco Control.