For the first time in Great Britain, there are more over-16s using vapes or e-cigarettes than smoking cigarettes, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Some 5.4 million adults use vapes daily or occasionally, compared with 4.9 million using cigarettes, an ONS survey for 2024 suggests.

Daily use of vapes is most common among 25-49 year olds, with rising use among women.

The popularity of cigarette smoking has been falling for the past decade as the harmful effects of tobacco encouraged many to quit, while less risky vape use has been rising – particularly among younger age groups.

Vaping poses a small fraction of the risks of smoking, the NHS says, since cigarettes release thousands of chemicals when they burn, many of which are poisonous and can cause cancer.

Switching to vaping reduces those risks but the long-term effects of vaping aren’t yet known. Health experts say vaping is not competely harmless, so children and non-smokers should never vape.

The charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) said the drop in smoking was “good news for public health” but warned that those still smoking “are trapped in a cycle of addiction that will likely take their lives”.

ASH says smoking is responsible for 70,000 deaths every year and is the leading cause of preventable death in the UK. It is urging the government to invest in and support communities where smoking rates remain high.

The ONS’s Opinions and Lifestyle Survey suggests that 10% of adults aged 16 and over currently use an e-cigarette every day or occasionally – slightly more than the 9.1% who say they currently smoke.

The number saying they’ve given up smoking has risen – 74.2% in 2024, up from 70.3% in 2023.

Back in the 1970s, less than 30% had quit the habit. At that time, nearly half of the population were smokers.

But much has changed since then. In 2006-2007, a ban on smoking in enclosed public places and workplaces was introduced and in 2015, a ban on smoking in cars with children was brought in.

More recently in 2017, plain cigarette packaging was introduced.

And government legislation currently progressing through parliament – called the Tobacco and Vapes Bill – will soon mean anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 will not be legally allowed to buy tobacco in the UK.

Rules on how vapes are packaged and displayed in shops are also set to be tightened over concerns that the devices are appealing to children.

It has been illegal for businesses to sell or supply single-use or disposable vapes in the UK since June. The ban is aimed at reducing environmental damage and cutting the number of children and young people vaping.

The BBC understands the government will make it illegal to sell nicotine pouches and other nicotine products to under-18s as part of the Bill.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson told the BBC there were no limits on how strong these pouches can be.

“The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will let us set rules on nicotine strength, flavours and packaging to keep young people safe.”

The ONS survey suggests 6.7% of people aged 16 and over in Great Britain use a vape or e-cigarette every day, up from 5.9% in 2023.

Another 3.3% say they use one occasionally.

This equates to 5.4 million current vape users, a rise from 5.1 million in 2023.

The use of e-cigarettes daily or occasionally remained highest among 16-24 year olds in Great Britain in 2024 at 13%, down from 15.8% in 2023.

Hazel Cheeseman, chief executive of ASH, said there were still concerns about non-smokers and young people taking up vaping.