Here’s the headline: the UK just passed a tipping point. For the first time ever, there are more vapers than smokers. That’s not a stat, it’s a signal. A culture shift. Proof that harm reduction works when you put real options in people’s hands. And it’s a massive validation of what we’ve been fighting for at Riot: Change the Status Quo of smoking cessation.
On 4 November 2025, official figures showed an estimated 5.4 million adults in Great Britain vape daily or occasionally, compared with 4.9 million who smoke. Smoking across the UK has fallen to a record low, with just 10.6% of adults (18+) still smoking. Translation: the needle is moving in the right direction, and fast. ASH
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) data also shows daily vaping has grown to 6.7% of adults, with particularly strong gains among 35–49 year olds, while youth daily vaping edged down among 16–24s—an important nuance lost in the noise. This isn’t some wild free-for-all; it’s adult smokers switching to something far less harmful and sticking with it. ASH
Why this matters
Because reducing smoking saves lives. Full stop. Smoking remains the UK’s biggest preventable killer—over 70,000 deaths a year—and the single most effective way to cut that harm is to help smokers quit. Vaping is proven to be significantly less harmful than smoking and more effective for many people than willpower alone. Every smoker who moves to a vape and then to nicotine-free is a win for their health, their family, and the NHS. The data showing vaping displacing smoking is precisely the outcome public health has asked for, and it’s happening at scale. ASH
Don’t criminalise quitting. Don’t fuel misinformation. Don’t throw out the lifeboats because some people don’t like the colour.
For years we’ve pushed an activist message: give adults a real alternative and regulate the category sensibly. Don’t criminalise quitting. Don’t fuel misinformation. Don’t throw out the lifeboats because some people don’t like the colour. Now the numbers back it up: harm reduction works when you let it. ASH+1
Don’t confuse “youth headlines” with adult reality
Let’s be crystal clear. Kids shouldn’t vape, and retailers who sell to them should feel serious consequences. But adult switching is the main story here. The latest figures show adult daily vaping up, and youngest-age daily rates down year-on-year, alongside another drop in smoking nationally. We can (and must) clamp down on youth access and irresponsible marketing while protecting adult access to effective quitting tools. That’s not a contradiction, it’s exactly what the data supports. ASH
The big picture: smokers are choosing performance over punishment
A decade ago (2014), 18.8% of Brits smoked and only 3.7% vaped. Today, it’s flipped: roughly 10% vape and 9.1% smoke in Great Britain. That’s millions of people choosing a product that delivers nicotine without tar and combustion, because performance beats punishment every time. People don’t quit because someone tutted at them; they quit because there’s a better option that actually fits their life. The Independent
Where policy should go next
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill is in the Lords right now and aims to create a smoke-free generation, stop youth access, and set clearer rules on product design and marketing. Good. Let’s do it properly: tough on rogue retailers, smart on standards, and laser-focused on adult smoking cessation. Keep the door wide open for smokers to switch; slam it shut on anyone targeting kids. That balance is the only way we hit the 2030 targets—and we’re running out of calendar. ASH+1
What this means for smokers
If you smoke, this is your moment. The data proves millions have already switched. You’re not an outlier—you’re the next success story. Vaping is more affordable than smoking, offers gradual nicotine step-down, and removes the combustion that drives most of smoking’s harm. That’s the core of smoking cessation in 2025: a staircase down, not a cliff edge. The Independent
Riot’s mission isn’t abstract. We build vape products and flavours that make switching not just possible, but pleasurable—then we give you clear info to taper nicotine until you don’t need it. Disposables? They helped some people switch fast, but we’ve always believed the future is reusable systems, refillable pods, and responsible retail. That’s how you scale harm reduction, cut waste, and keep the focus on adult quit journeys.
What we support
- Licensing & enforcement: Hit retailers who sell to under-18s with fines that actually bite. Take licences away from repeat offenders.
- Packaging standards: Keep it clear and adult. No kids’ cartoons.
- Flavour responsibility: Flavours matter for adult switching—full stop. Regulate presentation without gutting the choice that keeps ex-smokers off cigarettes.
- Evidence-led comms: Government, NHS, and industry should align on plain-English facts: vaping is far less harmful than smoking; the goal is quitting smoking; and dual use should be a stepping stone, not a destination. ASH
What the numbers mean for public health
ASH’s readout is blunt: progress is real but the UK won’t hit “≤5% smoking by 2030” without sustained investment in stop-smoking services and targeted support for low-income groups where smoking rates are highest. We agree. This is not the moment to throttle the tool that’s displacing cigarettes. It’s the moment to scale it, standardise it, and support the communities that need it most. ASH
Riot’s pledge
1. Champion harm reduction. We’ll keep building products that make switching simple, satisfying, and sustainable—prioritising reusable, cost-effective systems.
2. Fight for smart regulation. Licensing that protects kids and backs adults who are trying to quit smoking.
3. Tell the truth, loudly. We’ll keep cutting through misinformation with facts, data, and lived experience.
4. Design for quitting. Clear nicotine options, guidance for step-down, and support that meets people where they are.
If you’re a smoker, start here
- Pick a device that fits your routine (simple pod system if you want easy, refillable if you want flexibility).
- Match your nicotine to your current habit (higher to start, then step down).
- Choose flavours you actually like (this is about replacing a ritual, not enduring one).
- Set a date to ditch cigarettes completely (dual use is a bridge—don’t live on it).
- Track your savings. It’s amazing what happens to your wallet when you stop burning it. The Independent
The bottom line is that we have more vapers than smokers which is an historic milestone. It proves that when you back harm reduction, you get results. It proves that vaping is not a moral panic; it’s a public-health solution for adults who want to quit smoking. And it proves that our mission—Change the Status Quo of smoking cessation—isn’t just a slogan. It’s working.
We’re not done. Not until the next milestone reads “smoking below 5% nationwide” and a smoke-free generation coming up behind us. Let’s make that headline, together. ASH+1
Sources: ONS figures reported via ASH press release (4 Nov 2025) and coverage in The Independent confirming 10% vapers vs 9.1% smokers—~5.4m vs 4.9m—with smoking at a record low across the UK.
