In response to the data release, Professor Sanjay Agrawal, the Royal College of Physicians’ special adviser on tobacco, said: 

“The continued decline in smoking prevalence among adults, now at its lowest level since records began, is a promising step towards reducing tobacco harm. However, the rise in e-cigarette use, particularly among young people and those who have never smoked, requires urgent action. While e-cigarettes remain a valuable tool for helping smokers quit, it is essential that their use doesn’t create new public health risks, particularly among children.

“The Tobacco and Vapes Bill has the potential to strike the balance we need between supporting smokers to quit, while ensuring e-cigarette uptake doesn’t continue to increase among non-smokers – its reintroduction into parliament cannot come soon enough.”