Cigarette smoking is reducing faster among 18-24-year-olds than any age group, according to a new study, which also finds that there has been more than one quarter decrease in the habit over the past decade among Britons in general.
The survey, carried out by online vape store Go Smoke Free, using data from the Office for National Statistics, suggests that 11.6% of today’s 18-24-year-olds are smokers, down from 25.7% in 2011, a fall of more than a half.
Go Smoke Free attributes some of the decrease in smoking to the popularity of vaping and e-cigarettes but warns that new restrictions on disposable vapes could lead to the trend being reversed, particularly among the young as this age group has the highest proportion of vapers.
It says that 15.5% of 16-24-year-olds are daily or occasional vapers, compared with 11.1% in 2021.
The study also concludes that 12.9% of adults currently smoke, with the highest prevalence among 25- to 34-year-olds – 16.3% of that age group are smokers, a number that is slightly higher than in 2021. However, the amount has fallen from 25.8% in 2011.
The next age group up, 35-44-year-olds are the second most likely to be smokers, at 14.5%. However, this proportion too has dropped significantly from 23.3% in 2011.
