Health Survey for England, 2021 part 1

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and other vaping devices use a range of methods that allow their users to inhale nicotine as a vapour rather than via tobacco smoke. Their use in Britain has increased steeply in recent years (Source: Action on Smoking and Health). 

For the sake of brevity this report uses the term e-cigarette to refer to all vaping devices.

The current questions about e-cigarette use were asked between 2016 and 2019. Participants were asked whether they had ‘ever used an electronic cigarette (e-cigarette), or any other vaping device?’ Interviewers offered further clarification if necessary. Those who said that they had ever used e-cigarettes were asked whether they used e-cigarettes or vaping devices at all nowadays.

In 2021, similar proportions of men and women reported that they currently used e-cigarettes (6% and 5% respectively).

In 2021, the proportion of adults who currently used e-cigarettes varied with age. It was highest among those aged between 25 and 34 (7%) and lowest among those aged 75 and over (2%).

More men (12%) than women (9%) had tried e-cigarettes but were not current users. The proportions of adults who had tried e-cigarettes varied with age in a broadly similar way to the pattern seen for current use.

For more information: Table 7.

In 2021, 16% of current smokers also currently used e-cigarettes as did 13% of ex-regular smokers, but only 1% of those who had never smoked cigarettes.

A minority (39%) of current smokers had never tried e-cigarettes, compared with 76% of adults who used to smoke regularly and 95% of those who had never smoked.

For more information: Table 8.

The proportion of adults who currently smoke e-cigarettes remained the same (6%) between 2016 and 2019. In 2021, 5% of all adults were defined as current e-cigarette users.

Between 2016 and 2019, the proportion of adults who had tried using e-cigarettes but were not current users increased from 12% in 2016 to 15% in 2019. In 2021, 10% of adults had used e-cigarettes but were not current users.

The proportion of adults who had never used e-cigarettes fell from 82% in 2016 to 79% in 2019. In 2021, 84% of adults reported that they had never used e-cigarettes. This proportion was higher in 2021 than in 2019 among all age groups, which suggests that the apparent increase may have been at least in part the effect of the differences in survey methodology and response rather than a real change.

For more information: Table 9.