Despite years of research, vaping remains one of the most misunderstood topics in public health.
Fuelled by a mix of misinterpreted studies and sensational media coverage, many people continue to cite statistics about vaping that are misleading or just plain wrong.
Let’s set the record straight. Here are four of the most misquoted or misunderstood statistics about vaping - and what the evidence actually says.
1. “Most people who vape are teenagers”
Wrong. The vast majority of vapers are adults - and most are former or current smokers.
This myth likely stems from media reports highlighting youth vaping trends. While youth uptake of vaping is a concern, data shows that adult smokers (former and current) make up the core demographic of regular vapers.
According to the UK Office for National Statistics, in 2023 83 per cent of current vapers were either ex-smokers or current smokers. Only around one per cent of adult vapers had never smoked.
2. “Hundreds of people have died from vaping.”
Wrong. While smoking kills eight million people globally every year, there are zero confirmed deaths caused directly by vaping.
This misconception may have been sparked by the 2019 EVALI (E-cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury) outbreak in the U.S. which caused 68 deaths.
However, EVALI was caused by illicit and unregulated ‘THC’ vapes containing vitamin E acetate, not standard nicotine vapes. (THC - tetrahydrocannabinol - is the main psychoactive compound in cannabis).
Media coverage of the EVALI outbreak often failed to distinguish between nicotine vapes and contaminated THC vapes, with headlines such as "vaping illness" or "vape-related deaths".
Legal, regulated vapes have not been directly linked to any deaths.
3. "There’s been a 1000% increase in teen vaping."
Wrong. This statistic usually includes experimentation (even just trying a vape once), as well as regular vaping.
While experimentation has risen quickly, regular use among teenagers who have never-smoked remains relatively low in most countries.
Percentages when working with relatively small numbers can in itself be deceptive. According to the charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), the proportion of 11 to 17-year-olds in the UK who have ever tried vaping increased from 3.8 per cent in 2013 to 20.5 per cent in 2023.
This represents an approximate 440 per cent increase over 10 years - which sounds huge.
However, focusing on the percentage increase without considering the figures themselves is misleading. For instance, a rise from one per cent to 10 per cent represents a 900 per cent increase. But it’s also true that 90 per cent of the population has not engaged in this behaviour.
4. "Vaping doubles your risk of heart attacks."
Wrong. There is no strong evidence that proves vaping causes heart attacks.
A 2019 study titled “Electronic Cigarette Use and Myocardial Infarction Among Adults in the US Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health”, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA), claimed vaping doubles the risk of heart attacks.
Its findings - which led to sensational headlines around the world - contributed to public panic and government policy discussions regarding vapes.
However, the study was later fully retracted following widespread criticism from experts because it counted heart attacks that happened before people started vaping.
In fact, studies show switching from smoking to vaping leads to vast improvements in cardiac health. A VESUVIUS study by the British Heart Foundationfound that for chronic tobacco smokers, there were significant improvements in vascular function within just a month of switching from a tobacco cigarette to a vape.