The Faustian Bargain of Vaping: What the UK’s ONS Report Means for India
The UK’s vaping surge, including among never-smokers, highlights a Faustian bargain that India’s vaping ban must evaluate against its own tobacco-use patterns and enforcement gaps.Summary
The UK’s Office for National Statistics reported that 5.4 million people in Great Britain vaped in 2025, surpassing the 4.8 million who smoked, with 1.1 million vapers classified as never-smokers. While vaping helps some smokers quit, it has also created a market among people with no regular smoking history, and many former smokers continue vaping. The UK is tightening regulation through an excise duty, age-of-sale restrictions and a ban on disposable vapes, while preserving adult access as a smoking-cessation option. India banned vaping in 2019 but continues to regulate cigarettes, bidis and smokeless tobacco, which dominate its tobacco burden. Prohibition has not eliminated illegal vape sales, and reliable national data on vaping prevalence and user profiles are lacking. The upcoming GATS-3 survey offers a chance to assess whether India’s ban prevents new nicotine use, limits illicit access and supports quitting, rather than simply pushing the market out of sight.
(Source：orfonline.org)
