Vaping and Teen Smoking: UK Study Warns of Rising Risks

A new study published in Tobacco Control reveals a concerning trend: teens who vape in the UK are now as likely to take up smoking as adolescents in the 1970s. Despite significant declines in teenage smoking over the last five decades, current vaping habits appear to be recreating historic smoking uptake rates.

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Vaping and Teen Smoking: A Parallel to 1970s Patterns

Drawing on data from the National Child Development Study (NCDS), the British Cohort Study (BCS), and the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), researchers compared intergenerational smoking behaviors. Findings show that while non-vaping teens had only a 1.5% chance of becoming smokers, this risk jumped to 33% among current e-cigarette users, mirroring teenage smoking prevalence from 1974.

The study also highlights critical cigarette smoking risk factors, including maternal smoking, early alcohol use, and lower engagement in education. These risk factors remained consistent across generations, reinforcing the complex interplay between environment, behavior, and nicotine use in adolescence.

E-Cigarette Use in Youth: Implications for Public Health

The research emphasizes that E-cigarette use in youth is not only linked to nicotine addiction but also a potential reversal in decades of public health progress achieved through tobacco control legislation. While the prevalence of cigarette smoking among UK teens has dropped from 33% in the 1970s to 12% in 2018, the surge in adolescent vaping patterns threatens to stall or even reverse this decline.

The authors caution that although the study cannot prove causality between vaping and cigarette initiation, the findings underscore the urgent need to monitor UK youth nicotine use trends. For healthcare professionals, this data serves as a critical reminder to screen for vaping behaviors during adolescent health visits and provide early intervention strategies.

Clinical and Policy Insights for HCPs

For clinicians, the findings highlight the importance of addressing both smoking and vaping during routine adolescent care. Integrating education on the risks of dual nicotine exposure and reinforcing parental smoking cessation support are vital steps in reducing intergenerational risk.

For public health policy makers, the data suggests the need to strengthen regulations on youth-targeted e-cigarette marketing, improve school-based prevention programs, and align anti-vaping initiatives with existing tobacco control measures. As adolescent vaping patterns rise, protecting the gains of past decades will require coordinated efforts from healthcare systems, educators, and policy advocates alike.

For More Information:

Mongilio, J. M., et al. (2025). Risk of adolescent cigarette use in three UK birth cohorts before and after e-cigarettes. Tobacco Control. doi.org/10.1136/tc-2024-059212