100 Billion Cigarettes Not Smoked – Thanks to Vaping
Press Release
UNLIT CIGS COULD FILL 400 WEMBLEY STADIUMS
OR WRAP AROUND THE EARTH 200 TIMES
RELEASED AT ONCE, THE SMOKE WOULD COVER GB
AN ESTIMATED 100 billion cigarettes were not smoked in Great Britain since 2013 thanks to vaping, data compiled for World Vape Day (MAY 30) suggests.
That is equivalent to more than 20 trips to the Moon if lined end-to-end, or over a trillion fewer puffs of toxic tobacco smoke released into the air. If released at once, it would blanket the UK in a 25cm thick layer of poison.
Britain has witnessed one of the biggest public health turnarounds in modern history. Adult smoking rates have fallen dramatically since vaping emerged as a mainstream alternative to cigarettes.
We Vape has analysed government and campaign data to reveal the depth of impact of harm reduction though vaping since 2013 – when it truly engaged as a mainstream nicotine alternative.
Government’s own research shows adult smoking prevalence dropped from 18.8% in 2013 to 10.6% in 2024 – a decline of nearly 44%.
According to ASH data, the number of vapers more than doubled from 800,000 (1.7%) in 2012 to 1.3 million (2.7%) in 2013 – marking the beginning of rapid, sustained growth that has continued ever since, demonstrated in the table below.
The slight dip in vapers in the past year is widely considered to be due to the explosive growth of another harm reduction favourite – nicotine pouches.
Campaigners marking World Vaping Day (SAT May 30) say the shift from smoke to vapour has prevented tens of billions of cigarettes from being burned and dramatically reduced exposure to tobacco smoke in homes and public spaces across the UK.
Mark Oates, founder of We Vape, said:
“Since 2013, Britain’s move from smoke to vapour has prevented an estimated trillion puffs of tobacco smoke from entering lungs, homes, pub gardens and public spaces.
This is the clean air victory hiding in plain sight. The UK didn’t just reduce smoking – it reduced smoke itself.
Governments globally need to truly and widely recognise the impact harm reduction has had on society.
It reduces the burden on the healthcare, will likely save and extend millions of lives longterm and has turned people away from combustible tobacco to a vastly safer alternative.
Our fight continues to spread this message, but on World Vape Day, we should take a moment to acknowledge the successes so far.”
Harm reduction advocates highlight that vaping has succeeded where decades of traditional anti-smoking campaigns struggled: by giving smokers a viable, effective alternative to combustible tobacco.
Every smoker who fully switches avoids lighting roughly 5,000–7,000 cigarettes a year. Across millions of former and current switchers since 2013, this equates to a vast reduction in tobacco smoke.
Evidence of Accelerated Quitting
Smoking rates among young adults (18–24) have fallen sharply – from 25.7% in 2011 to just 8.1% in 2024, according to ONS.
Meanwhile, data from Smoking in England shows declines accelerated alongside the rise of vaping products, especially after 2021.
The evidence now strongly supports harm reduction approaches over prohibitionist policies, or excessive restrictions that slow smoking rate decline and push people back to cigarettes.