why do people vape

July 7, 2026

Why Do People Vape?

The main reasons adults choose to vape and what the research says about motivations.

Quick summary: The most common reason adults in the UK vape is to help quit or reduce smoking. Other common reasons include cost savings compared to cigarettes, avoiding the smell of tobacco, and the flexibility to manage nicotine without smoking. Understanding motivation matters because it shapes how vaping should be used.

Vaping is used by millions of adults in the UK, and the reasons vary considerably between individuals. Surveys and public health research have identified consistent patterns in why people choose to vape.

The Main Reasons Adults Vape

Reason	Who it applies to	Proportion of UK vapers (approx)
To quit smoking	Current and former smokers	Around 50 to 60%
To reduce cigarette consumption	Smokers not yet ready to quit fully	Around 20 to 25%
To avoid relapsing back to smoking	Former smokers maintaining abstinence	Around 15 to 20%
Cost: cheaper than cigarettes	Budget-conscious smokers and former smokers	Significant secondary motivation
Social or lifestyle factors	Smaller proportion; includes flavour enjoyment	Smaller: less common as sole primary motivation

Smoking Cessation: The Primary Driver

The dominant reason UK adults vape is to stop or reduce smoking. This is consistent with the public health framework within which vaping exists in the UK. The NHS endorses vaping as one of the most effective tools for smoking cessation, and surveys such as the ASH Adult Smoking Habits survey consistently show that cessation and harm reduction are the primary stated reasons for vaping among UK adults.

This context matters because it shapes the right way to think about vaping: as a tool with a purpose rather than an end in itself.

How Motivations Compare to Outcomes

Approximate proportion of UK adult vapers by primary motivation

Based on ASH and NHS survey data. Motivations often overlap.

To quit smoking

~55%

To reduce smoking

~22%

To stay off cigarettes

~15%

Other / lifestyle

~8%

The Cost Argument

With a pack of 20 cigarettes costing upwards of £13 to £15 in the UK, a 20-a-day smoker spends around £4,700 to £5,500 per year on cigarettes. Switching to vaping typically costs £500 to £1,000 per year including device and e-liquid. The annual saving of £3,000 to £4,500 is a compelling secondary motivation that reinforces the health case for switching.

Why Flavour Choice Matters for Quitters

Having access to a wide range of flavours is not just about preference: research suggests it plays a meaningful role in successful smoking cessation. Vapers who can find flavours they enjoy are more likely to stick with vaping rather than relapsing to cigarettes. Fruit, menthol and dessert flavours significantly outsell tobacco flavours among people who have successfully quit smoking, likely because they create a greater flavour distance from cigarettes.

Frequently Asked Questions

A major 2019 randomised controlled trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that vaping had a significantly higher one-year abstinence rate (18%) compared to NRT including patches (9.9%). This was in combination with behavioural support. Both approaches work, but vaping appears to be more effective for many smokers, partly because it more closely replicates the physical and behavioural aspects of smoking.

A small proportion do. However, surveys consistently show that the vast majority of UK adult vapers have a smoking history and vape primarily for cessation or harm reduction reasons. Vaping among people who have never smoked remains low in the UK adult population, and public health policy actively discourages it for non-smokers.

Several reasons are commonly reported: managing nicotine dependence without returning to cigarettes, enjoying the routine and habit of vaping, cost (still far cheaper than cigarettes), and finding it effective as an ongoing harm reduction strategy. Many gradually reduce nicotine strength over time with the goal of eventually stopping vaping entirely.

Evidence suggests yes: access to appealing non-tobacco flavours is associated with higher quit rates among smokers switching to vaping. The ability to move away from tobacco-associated taste profiles helps break the psychological association with smoking. Restricting flavours, as some countries have done, has been linked to lower vaping uptake among smokers and potentially higher continued smoking rates.

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