Third of UK teenagers who vape will go on to start smoking, research shows
A third of UK teenagers who vape will go on to start smoking tobacco, research shows, meaning they are as likely to smoke as their peers were in the 1970s.A long-term intergenerational study found that the likelihood of starting to smoke among people aged 17 in 2018 was about 1.5% if they did not vape compared with 33% if they did.The findings suggest that e-cigarettes are increasingly acting as a “gateway” to nicotine cigarettes for children, undermining falling rates of teen smoking over the past 50 years.The study looked at teenagers in 2018 as it was the most recent year for which there was available comparable data.
The likelihood may have increased since then given that vaping and smoking rates among teenagers have both risen in the past seven years.The academics wrote that although the research did not establish a causal link, their findings were “especially concerning” given the rising popularity of vaping, “despite some initial assurances that e-cigarettes would have little appeal to [adolescents]”.“The success of previous tobacco control efforts and broad shifts in intergenerational risk factors in reducing risk of cigarette smoking may be mitigated when adolescents use e-cigarettes,” they wrote.Figures compiled by Action on Smoking and Health this year show that 20% of 11- to 17-year-olds in Great Britain have tried vaping, an estimated 1.1 million children.
This was the same level as in 2023, after the number of children using vapes in the previous three years had tripled.Smoking among youths also increased from 14% in 2023 to 21% in 2025.The research, led by the University of Michigan and published in the Tobacco Control journal, drew on intergenerational data from three nationally representative birth cohorts of UK teens born in 1958, 1970 and 2001.The overall likelihood of cigarette smoking for an average teen (aged 16 or 17) was calculated as 30% for those born in 1958, 22% for those born in 1970, and 9.5% for those born in 2001.
The odds of smoking among 16- and 17-year-olds were estimated based on a common set of childhood risk factors, which included teen vaping for the youngest cohort,Some sociodemographic characteristics, including race and ethnicity, were unaccounted for due to insufficient sample sizes in the earlier cohorts,Risk factors included whether they had ever drunk alcohol by age 16 or 17; how engaged they were with education at school; poor impulse control reported by the main caregiver at ages 10 or 11; and parental occupation, education and smoking behaviour – including during pregnancy,The researchers found these risks remained broadly similar across the three cohorts,Analysis showed a steep decline in the prevalence of cigarette smoking among teens, falling from 33% in 1974 to 25% in 1986 and 12% in 2018.
The researchers suggested the decline in the prevalence of teen smoking was the result of tobacco control laws, better public understanding of the health impacts of smoking and a shift away from the perception of smoking as socially acceptable.The study showed that other behaviours that contributed to the risk of smoking have changed over time.For example, the percentage of teens who had started drinking by the age of 16 or 17 fell from 94% for the oldest cohort to 83% in the youngest.The average age at which mothers left education rose from 15.5 in the oldest cohort to 17 in the youngest, the prevalence of parental smoking fell from above 70% in the oldest to 27% in the youngest cohort, and fewer mothers continued smoking while pregnant.
Steve Turner, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said the research was “incredibly concerning”.“A major concern about children and young people vaping is that this age group is particularly sensitive to developing a lifelong addiction to the nicotine contained in the vapes.We know that nicotine addiction is harmful,” he said.“We have all worked so hard to stop young people from smoking and vaping may have undone decades of work.“Smoking continues to be the leading cause of preventable illness and death in the UK.
We all must take urgent steps to prevent young people from being drawn into smoking by vaping.”
Air traffic control failure an isolated incident, says UK minister after meeting
A radar-related technical failure that led to hundreds of flights being disrupted on Wednesday was an “isolated event” with “no evidence of malign activity”, the transport secretary has said, after summoning the head of the UK air traffic control service, Nats, to account for the disruption.Heidi Alexander said she met Martin Rolfe, the under-fire chief executive of Nats, to understand what happened and what could be done to prevent a reoccurrence in the future after more than 150 flights were cancelled and others delayed by the latest glitch.It is understood that Alexander did not press Rolfe to consider his position, despite fresh calls from Ryanair for him to quit.Most of the disruption from the brief stoppage came at Heathrow. A total of 84 departures and 71 arrivals were cancelled by 10pm on Wednesday, and some inbound flights were diverted to European cities
Pound on track for worst month in almost two years; ‘no evidence of malign activity’ behind UK airport disruption – as it happened
The tale of the pound’s tricky month is of course the other side of dollar strength – something of a turnaround after a period of notable falls in the value of the greenback.The dollar had declined as investors questioned the attractiveness of US assets under Donald Trump when he was committed to trade wars. Trump has gone ahead with tariffs on most of the US’s imports, but he has not quite followed through with the worst of his threats in recent weeks.Allied to that, the US Federal Reserve has signalled that it is cautious about cutting interest rates, as it is worried about the inflationary pressure coming from tariffs. That has made the dollar relatively more attractive
How will Australia’s under-16s social media ban be enforced, and which platforms will be exempt?
Australians using a range of social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and X will need to have their age checked to ensure they are 16 or older when the social media ban comes into effect from early December.Sign up: AU Breaking News emailHow will it work? And what information will people need to hand over?From 10 December, new laws will apply to platforms that meet the government’s definition of an “age-restricted social media platform”, which has the sole or significant purpose of enabling social interaction with two or more users, and which allows users to post material on the service.The government has not specified by name any platforms that will be included in the ban, meaning any site that meets the above definition could be included except if they meet the exemptions released on Wednesday.The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has said that the covered platforms include – but are not limited to – Facebook, Instagram, X, Snapchat, and YouTube.The communications minister, Anika Wells, said these platforms would be expected to take reasonable steps to deactivate accounts for users under 16, prevent children registering new accounts, check ages, and also prevent workarounds to bypass the restrictions
Met police to more than double use of live facial recognition
Britain’s biggest police force is to more than double its use of live facial recognition to up to 10 deployments a week.The move by the Metropolitan police comes as it restructures to cover the loss of 1,400 officers and 300 staff amid budget shortages.Live facial recognition – which involves the matching of faces caught on surveillance camera footage against a police watchlist in real time – will now be used up to 10 times a week across five days, up from the current four times a week across two days.The tactic will be deployed at the Notting Hill carnival over the August bank holiday.An older form of the technology was trialled at the event in 2016 and 2017
Lottie Woad off the pace at Women’s Open but second round too early for TV
It might even have been a relief to the organisers of this Women’s Open that, as shadows lengthened, Lottie Woad did not blast her way towards the front of the queue. Woad may well be the name on everyone’s lips but, on day two, she will barely feature on anybody’s screens.Perhaps it is a sign of this major’s rapid growth that everyone wants more. Nonetheless, fans will find it unsatisfactory that, with daily television coverage beginning at noon, Woad – plus Nelly Korda and Lydia Ko – will play the vast majority of her second round minus the eyeballs of anyone not in attendance at Royal Porthcawl. This is now a recurring theme after Leona Maguire took to social media to point out her hole in one at the recent Evian Championship was not caught on camera
Surrey boost title hopes by besting Durham: county cricket day three – as it happened
Surrey went clear of the rest at Chester-le-Street, a three-day win against Durham that puts them in prime position to swan gracefully in and collect their fourth Championship on the trot, with just three matches left in the season. India’s tall, elegant, slow left-armer Sai Kishore did exactly what he was signed for, zinging the Kookaburra through Durham, finishing with five for 72.Meanwhile Jordan Clark gave the Overtons a run for their money by hitting younger brother Graham, who had batted very nicely for 42, on the grill with a stinging bouncer. Surrey, needing 176 for victory, had a mild wobble when they lost Ryan Patel and Rory Burns in consecutive overs, but 40 from Sam Curran set the sails fair.Things don’t look so rosy for Durham who, if Yorkshire win on Friday, have their boots in the relegation zone
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