Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of (a) the number of people and (b) the number of people under the age of 18 who have taken up vaping who did not previously smoke cigarettes.

Public Health England publishes annual independent updates on the prevalence of vaping among adults and young people in England.

The latest report found that less than 1% of adults who have never smoked are current vapers (defined as any current use). Among young people under 18, less than 1% of those who have never smoked are current vapers (defined as weekly or less than weekly).

No assessment has been made of the effect of vaping on the health of people who have never smoked in England.

‘Vaping in England: an evidence update including mental health and pregnancy, March 2020: a report commissioned by Public Health England’, is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vaping-in-england-evidence-update-march-2020