Majority of smokers in England wrongly believe vaping is as harmful as smoking

A growing number of adult smokers in England hold the mistaken belief that vaping is as harmful as, or more dangerous than, smoking cigarettes. Research suggests this significant shift in public perception is creating a substantial barrier to public health, as smokers who incorrectly equate the risks of the two habits are less likely to transition to e-cigarettes to help them quit tobacco.

According to survey data tracking smoking patterns between 2014 and 2023, the share of smokers who correctly identify vaping as less harmful than smoking has plummeted. In 2014, roughly 44% of smokers viewed vaping as the lower-risk option. By June 2023, that figure had dropped significantly, with 57% of survey respondents stating that they believed vaping was just as harmful or worse than smoking. Analysis from 2026 confirms this trend, finding that 54% of UK adults — and 52% of smokers — now share these misperceptions. Among smokers who have never attempted to vape, the misconception is even more prevalent, with reports indicating that 61% to 63% believe vaping carries equal or greater health risks than traditional tobacco.

The health implications are significant. Tobacco smoke contains thousands of chemicals, including toxic metals, poisonous gases, and substances that cause cancer, and it is linked to lung disease, heart disease, and stroke. Scientific consensus holds that while vaping is not risk-free, it exposes users to a fraction of the risk of tobacco smoking. Despite this, experts warn that public understanding has fallen out of sync with the evidence. Prof Jamie Brown, director of the UCL Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group, noted that because smoking is responsible for 75,000 deaths in England annually, the failure of smokers to adopt safer alternatives remains an urgent public health concern.

Researchers suggest several factors driving this confusion. Media coverage frequently emphasizes potential risks associated with vaping, often citing individual studies on small populations, without providing the necessary context regarding the known, severe dangers of smoking. Some experts point to an outbreak of lung injuries in the United States in late 2019, later attributed to illicit cannabis products, as a moment when public fear spiked. Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) chief executive Deborah Arnott described "scare stories" about youth vaping as a likely driver for the growing skepticism among adults.

Industry observers and public health advocates also highlight a disconnect in official messaging. Simon Clark, director of the smokers' group Forest, argued that government policy, which includes plans to ban disposable vapes and restrict packaging, complicates the promotion of reduced-risk alternatives. Strikingly, among people who named a strategy to quit vaping, nearly a fifth used cigarettes, the survey found.

Legislative efforts to regulate the industry remain in flux. The government is preparing the tobacco and vapes bill. While health organizations, including Cancer Research UK and Ash, maintain that such regulations are necessary to curb youth access, they express concern that legislative delays and a lack of coherent communication regarding relative risks hinder efforts to help current smokers quit. The Bill has been introduced but has not yet entered the committee stage in the House of Lords. Until the relative safety profile of vaping is more clearly communicated to the public, experts fear that millions of smokers will remain trapped in a cycle of traditional tobacco use, ultimately missing their most effective opportunity to improve their long-term health outcomes.