The kids are vaping.

Discarded one use vapes from Getty Images.

By Colette Cairney & Rachel Renton

The number of people who have ever vaped has drastically overtaken the number of people who have ever smoked. According to the Office of National Statistics (ONS), in 2024, 5.4 million adults use vapes daily compared to 4.9 million using cigarettes. Just over a decade ago, in 2014, 18.8% of British adults aged 16 and older were cigarette users, compared to 3.7% being vape users.

The disposable vape ban, first introduced in January 2024, was officially carried out in June of 2025, to address environmental and public health challenges. This crackdown has made it illegal to sell single-use vapes at corner shops and supermarkets. However, this has not deterred as many people as it should, particularly 16-year-olds. A recent survey from the ONS suggests 6.7% of people aged 16 and over in Great Britain use a vape every day, up from 5.9% in 2023.

Typically, someone will opt for a vape in place of cigarettes, however recently statistics from Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) show that many people are opting for vapes without ever smoking previously. Roughly 1.6% of people who have never smoked are current vapers, which represents 440,000. A separate study conducted shows that as of April 2024 around 3.5% of adults who had never regularly smoked were now vaping, equivalent to about 1 million people.

Rianne, 18, from Campbell Town said: “I think that is because vapes are typically branded as a ‘better alternative to smoking’, however that is not true, vapes are actually worse for you, but the colours and flavouring make it more appealing to lots of people, typically younger people and a lot of shops would sell you vapes rather than cigarettes even if you were of a younger age.”

There have been numerous worries about the health risks related to vaping, including brain development, respiratory and cardiovascular concerns and mental health issues. A man's brain fully develops between the ages of 25 and 30, while structural development is largely complete by age 21. A woman's brain is generally fully developed between the ages of 21 and 32, with the prefrontal cortex, responsible for decision-making and impulse control, maturing last.

Concerns related to vaping and the full development of the brain are imminent. Vaping introduces nicotine into an environment dominated by dopamine-focused stimuli, making it progressively more difficult to cultivate self-control and resist the urge for immediate satisfaction.

Statistics from Zero Waste Scotland reported 1.3 million disposable vapes are thrown away in the UK each week, leading to about 10,000 kilograms of lithium ending up in landfills each year.

The UK vaping market has seen a significant increase in sales, with disposable vape devices purchased weekly at a staggering 7.7 million units. Analysis from The University of Edinburgh indicates that convenience stores are now making just 10% of their profits from tobacco, with vape sales contributing to 73.4% of these profits. The average weekly number of transactions per store that included vapes rose sharply from 10 in 2019 to 93 in 2022, marking a nine-fold increase in three years.

Peer pressure plays a significant role in the initiation and continuation of vaping behaviour among adolescents. Research indicates that friends are often the main reason teens try vaping.

In a study published by the Journal of Scientific Research Writing, which examined the connection between peer pressure, social media validation, and the neurological rewards of nicotine, it provided an insight into the underlying mechanisms that drive the need for vaping in modern society.

The study showed that users from different social media platforms, X, Snapchat, Instagram, etc, were placed into three different categories: never users, non-daily users, and daily users. Findings suggest that the combination of social media validation, being with other users, and the neurological reward of nicotine contributes to an increased likelihood of engaging in smoking and vaping behaviours.

Lauren, 18, from Campbell Town said: “Recent statistics have come out to say that a lot of children begin vaping before they smoke and I think it is a lot to do with how they are marketed toward children, as there are no sanctions on marketing vapes toward children. For example, they do cotton candy flavours or unicorn, or whatever it is they do now, but they do that. I don’t know how valid they are, but I have seen statistics saying that vaping is as harmful as smoking, not more harmful or less, equally. When you look at when vapes originally came out it was seen as a healthier substitute for smoking.”

Ultimately, vaping can lead to both short and long-term health impacts. Using nicotine from a young age can harm young people’s brain development, affecting the parts of the brain that influence concentration levels, learning ability, mood, and self-control.

The rise of adolescent vaping.