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In 2015, Public Health England (PHE) stated that vaping was “95% less harmful than smoking” (Gov.uk). This figure was used in government health campaigns, highlighted by the media, and featured in marketing by e-cigarette manufacturers. As a result, millions of smokers switched to vaping, thinking it was almost harmless.
However, that claim — central to public health messaging — was described by The Lancet at the time as being based on an “extraordinarily flimsy foundation” (The Lancet). Nearly a decade later, the UK is facing the consequences.
The size of the vaping problem in UK
Since 2015, vaping has surged in Britain:
- Adult use has increased to 5.6 million people in Great Britain (Action on Smoking and Health, 2024).
- One in ten school pupils in England are now regular vapers (NHS Digital).
- The NHS has opened specialist clinics for children as young as 11 to treat nicotine addiction (Financial Times).
What was once marketed as a “safer” alternative has quickly turned into a new public health crisis.
Why vaping nicotine is different from smoking
Cigarettes and e-cigarettes both deliver nicotine, but in very different ways.
- Cigarettes have a natural end point: one cigarette burns out after 10–15 puffs, which acts as a limit for most smokers.
- Vapes do not have this limit. They allow continuous, unlimited nicotine dosing, often using powerful nicotine salts that deliver the drug more quickly and smoothly. This leads to chain-vaping — using a device almost constantly throughout the day.
As a result, users consume more nicotine, often equivalent to a whole pack of cigarettes in just a few hours, frequently without realising it.
This is a serious problem – because nicotine is one of the most addictive substances known. The higher the dose, and the faster it hits, the strong the dependence.
With vapes, users aren’t just maintaining the addiction they had with nicotine as a smoker – they’re deepening it. Making withdrawal harder, fueling anxiety, and locking themselves into an addiction cycle, that’s much tougher to break.
The hidden health impacts of vaping
The harms of vaping are not theoretical; they are evident in the daily lives of users:
- Mental health harm: Research shows that 60% of vapers report anxiety symptoms, compared with 40% of non-users (American Heart Association). Many also report jitteriness, restlessness, irritability, and low mood.
- Physical harm: Vapers often experience headaches, nausea, dizziness, and bowel irritation (Medical News Today). Reviews confirm moderate evidence for these harms (NCBI).
- Youth risk: Adolescents who vape are at a higher risk of depression, anxiety, and suicidality (NIHR). Schools report widespread use during lessons, with many pupils unable to stop.
This issue goes beyond long-term risks like lung disease or cancer; it also involves immediate, daily damage to mental health and wellbeing.
The 95% Claim — A Public Health failure on the harms of vaping
The claim that vaping is 95% safer was never based on solid science. It relied on limited expert opinion instead of robust long-term data, yet it was presented as fact.
This reassurance created a false sense of security.
- Smokers switched in good faith, believing they were making a healthier choice.
- Young people began vaping, assuming it was safe.
As a result, the e-cigarette industry gained credibility it could not have purchased on its own.
Now, with mounting evidence of harm, it is clear that the public was misled by overconfident messaging.
Vaping – a national health scandal
We are now facing the consequences:
- Mass uptake of high-strength nicotine products.
- A generation of young people addicted to vaping.
- Rising anxiety, physical symptoms, and mental distress linked to nicotine dependence.
This is not just a personal health issue; it is a systemic failure of UK public health communication.
- It’s time for accountability.
- It’s time for a public review of the 2015 guidance.
- It’s time to restore trust in health messaging.
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In 2015, Public Health England (PHE) stated that vaping was “95% less harmful than smoking” (Gov.uk). This figure was used in government health campaigns, highlighted by the media, and featured in marketing by e-cigarette manufacturers. As a result, millions of smokers switched to vaping, thinking it was almost harmless.
However, that claim — central to public health messaging — was described by The Lancet at the time as being based on an “extraordinarily flimsy foundation” (The Lancet). Nearly a decade later, the UK is facing the consequences.
The size of the vaping problem in UK
Since 2015, vaping has surged in Britain:
- Adult use has increased to 5.6 million people in Great Britain (Action on Smoking and Health, 2024).
- One in ten school pupils in England are now regular vapers (NHS Digital).
- The NHS has opened specialist clinics for children as young as 11 to treat nicotine addiction (Financial Times).
What was once marketed as a “safer” alternative has quickly turned into a new public health crisis.
Why vaping nicotine is different from smoking
Cigarettes and e-cigarettes both deliver nicotine, but in very different ways.
- Cigarettes have a natural end point: one cigarette burns out after 10–15 puffs, which acts as a limit for most smokers.
- Vapes do not have this limit. They allow continuous, unlimited nicotine dosing, often using powerful nicotine salts that deliver the drug more quickly and smoothly. This leads to chain-vaping — using a device almost constantly throughout the day.
As a result, users consume more nicotine, often equivalent to a whole pack of cigarettes in just a few hours, frequently without realising it.
This is a serious problem – because nicotine is one of the most addictive substances known. The higher the dose, and the faster it hits, the strong the dependence.
With vapes, users aren’t just maintaining the addiction they had with nicotine as a smoker – they’re deepening it. Making withdrawal harder, fueling anxiety, and locking themselves into an addiction cycle, that’s much tougher to break.
The hidden health impacts of vaping
The harms of vaping are not theoretical; they are evident in the daily lives of users:
- Mental health harm: Research shows that 60% of vapers report anxiety symptoms, compared with 40% of non-users (American Heart Association). Many also report jitteriness, restlessness, irritability, and low mood.
- Physical harm: Vapers often experience headaches, nausea, dizziness, and bowel irritation (Medical News Today). Reviews confirm moderate evidence for these harms (NCBI).
- Youth risk: Adolescents who vape are at a higher risk of depression, anxiety, and suicidality (NIHR). Schools report widespread use during lessons, with many pupils unable to stop.
This issue goes beyond long-term risks like lung disease or cancer; it also involves immediate, daily damage to mental health and wellbeing.
The 95% Claim — A Public Health failure on the harms of vaping
The claim that vaping is 95% safer was never based on solid science. It relied on limited expert opinion instead of robust long-term data, yet it was presented as fact.
This reassurance created a false sense of security.
- Smokers switched in good faith, believing they were making a healthier choice.
- Young people began vaping, assuming it was safe.
As a result, the e-cigarette industry gained credibility it could not have purchased on its own.
Now, with mounting evidence of harm, it is clear that the public was misled by overconfident messaging.
Vaping – a national health scandal
We are now facing the consequences:
- Mass uptake of high-strength nicotine products.
- A generation of young people addicted to vaping.
- Rising anxiety, physical symptoms, and mental distress linked to nicotine dependence.
This is not just a personal health issue; it is a systemic failure of UK public health communication.
- It’s time for accountability.
- It’s time for a public review of the 2015 guidance.
- It’s time to restore trust in health messaging.
Vaping Scandal 