Vaping poses a small fraction of the risks of smoking, the NHS says, since cigarettes release thousands of chemicals when they burn, many of which are poisonous and can cause cancer.
Switching to vaping reduces those risks but the long-term effects of vaping aren't yet known. Health experts say vaping is not competely harmless, so children and non-smokers should never vape.
The charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) said the drop in smoking was "good news for public health" but warned that those still smoking "are trapped in a cycle of addiction that will likely take their lives".
ASH says smoking is responsible for 70,000 deaths every year and is the leading cause of preventable death in the UK. It is urging the government to invest in and support communities where smoking rates remain high.
The ONS's Opinions and Lifestyle Survey suggests that 10% of adults aged 16 and over currently use an e-cigarette every day or occasionally - slightly more than the 9.1% who say they currently smoke.
The number saying they've given up smoking has risen - 74.2% in 2024, up from 70.3% in 2023.
Back in the 1970s, less than 30% had quit the habit. At that time, nearly half of the population were smokers.
But much has changed since then. In 2006-2007, a ban on smoking in enclosed public places and workplaces was introduced and in 2015, a ban on smoking in cars with children was brought in.
More recently in 2017, plain cigarette packaging was introduced.
And government legislation currently progressing through parliament - called the Tobacco and Vapes Bill - will soon mean anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 will not be legally allowed to buy tobacco in the UK.
