Fewer young people are trying e-cigarettes in Ireland. In the UK, more are trying - although few are getting hooked1TP8.
These are the findings of two recent reports from the respective countries. The studies completely contradict the media image that "all" young people vejp, when in reality it is quite few. At the same time, there is a growing misconception that vejp is as harmful as smoking, which worries the organisation ASH, Action on smoking and health.
According to a new analysis from the Irish government's annual "Healthy Ireland Survey, the proportion of young people who have ever tried an e-cigarette has fallen by 28% in one year. At the same time, a new report from UK organisation ASH (Action on Smoking and Health) that while many young people in the UK are trying vejp - daily use remains at a relatively low level.
However, what is most worrying at the moment, according to ASH, is how perceptions of the risks have changed - and worsened. An increasing number of young people believe that the risks of vejping are as great as the risks of smoking.
Fewer young people in Ireland vejpar
The Irish report shows that 14% of 15-17 year olds have vejpat some time in the last 30 days, compared to 19.2% the year before. Among young adults aged 18-24, the proportion decreased from 21.8 to 18.5 per cent.
According to the country's Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, the trend is the result of tougher legislation, advertising bans and information campaigns. At the same time, experts in both studies highlight that the number of people actually using vejp on a daily basis remains low - both in Ireland and in the UK.
Get vejpar daily
The 2025 ASH survey shows that 61 per cent of UK 11-17 year olds have never tried vejpa at all. And among those who have tried, most have done so only occasionally. Only 4.4 per cent of young people use an e-cigarette daily - and of these, the majority are former smokers.
ASH points out that this is very different from the image in the media, where it is often portrayed that "all young people vejp all the time". In fact, regular use is still uncommon among non-smoking young people.
Fewer understand that vejpning is less dangerous
However, one trend that worries ASH is that fewer young people (and adults) seem to realise that vejping is significantly less harmful than smoking. In this year's survey, only 62% of teenagers believe that vejp is less harmful than cigarettes - down from 80% in 2023.
The same pattern can be seen among adults: the proportion who know that e-cigarettes are less harmful than smoking has almost halved in two years, from 57 to 31 per cent.
