In 2025, we stand at a critical crossroads in global public health. As countries like the UK push toward a smokefree future, misinformation about vaping could be the very thing standing in the way of progress.
Recent data from Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) paints a troubling picture: half of British adults believe vaping is as harmful, or more harmful, than smoking traditional cigarettes. Among young people aged 11–17, that number is even higher—58%.
This rising wave of misinformation isn’t just a quirk of public opinion. It’s a public health problem.
Misperceptions Are Costing Lives
It’s no secret that smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable death worldwide. In the UK alone, smoking kills around 76,000 people every year. In contrast, while vaping is not risk-free, it is widely recognized by experts—including Public Health England and the NHS—as significantly less harmful than smoking.
Yet despite years of scientific consensus, public understanding seems to be moving in the opposite direction.
A 2025 study from the University of Bristol found that young adults who understood that vaping is less harmful than smoking were more likely to switch—an essential step for helping people quit cigarettes. But when fear and confusion dominate the narrative, people are less likely to make that switch.
The consequence? Smokers who might have transitioned to a safer alternative stay hooked on the more dangerous product.
The “Moral Panic” Around Vaping
Some of the negative perception can be traced to rising concern over youth vaping. It's understandable: images of teens puffing on brightly coloured, bubblegum-flavoured disposables have caused waves of alarm. But there’s a fine line between necessary regulation and counterproductive panic.
Even as youth vaping has plateaued, the public discourse continues to spiral into exaggerated territory—overshadowing the very real benefits vaping offers to adult smokers.
How This Hurts the Smokefree Mandate
The UK has set an ambitious goal to be smokefree by 2030. That means fewer than 5% of the population smoking cigarettes. To get there, evidence-based harm reduction tools—like vaping—are not optional. They’re essential.
But if half the population believes vaping is just as bad as smoking, motivation to switch plummets. Public confusion leads to political hesitancy, and before long, policy lags behind the science.
We’ve already seen some fallout:
- The upcoming ban on disposable vapes (effective June 2025) is likely to push users toward refillable options rather than reduce overall vaping, as noted in this Times article, but could also introduce a Black Market for disposable vapes and in the worst case, drive some back to smoking instead, as is being seen down South.
- Flavour bans, though well-intentioned, could lead to unintended consequences like a rise in illicit purchases or relapse into smoking. A 2024 poll found that over a third of vapers would continue to buy flavoured vapes through alternative means if a ban were implemented.
If we’re serious about helping people quit, we need clarity—not confusion.
What Needs to Happen
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Clear Public Messaging
Government and health organizations must do more to educate the public: vaping is not safe, but it's far less harmful than smoking. -
Separate Youth and Adult Narratives
We need regulation to protect youth, yes—but we must avoid policies that also block adult smokers from switching. -
Support for Harm Reduction
Policymakers should prioritize harm reduction strategies, including access to regulated, affordable, and appealing vaping products for adult smokers.
Reframe the Conversation
The fear-driven narrative around vaping is understandable, but it’s misplaced. We shouldn’t be asking, “Is vaping bad?”
We should be asking, “Is vaping better than smoking?”
The answer is an unequivocal yes—and the sooner we embrace that, the closer we’ll get to a smokefree world.
