This report presents results for Scotland from the ASH Smokefree GB Youth survey to provide a picture of adolescent use of vapes, tobacco and other nicotine products, alongside insights into perceptions of harm and views on policy measures.
This report presents findings for Scotland from the 2025 ASH (Action on Smoking and Health) SmokeFree GB Youth survey. The analysis focuses on adolescents aged 11–17 and covers: use of vapes, cigarettes and other nicotine products; awareness, main source, and type of products used; and experiences and views of users, including reasons for vaping and perceptions of harm.
Methodology
The ASH Smokefree GB Youth Survey is an annual survey of a representative sample (by age, gender, and region) of 11–18-year-olds in Great Britain (N=3,044 in 2025). It is conducted online by YouGov on behalf of ASH and has been running since 2013. The survey is funded by ASH, which receives core funding from the British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research UK.
Until 2023, the Scottish sample consisted of approximately 200 young people. From 2024 onwards, the Scottish Government commissioned a booster sample to enable Scotland-only analysis. This supports the monitoring and reporting of progress against the objectives outlined in the Tobacco and Vaping Framework.
In 2025, the Scottish sample comprised 856 adolescents. Fieldwork was conducted between 14th March and 24th April 2025.
Key findings
Vaping prevalence and smoking prevalence in 2025 were not statistically significantly different from 2024.
In 2025, 19.5% of 11–17-year-olds said they had tried vaping, including 10.5% who only tried a vape once or twice and 7.3% who identified as current vapers (of whom 4.8% were regular vapers – vaping more than once a week).
18.1% of the sample said they had tried smoking, including 8.7% who only tried smoking once and 4.8% who identified as current smokers (of whom 2.3% were regular smokers – smoking once a week or more).
Both ever and current use of vapes and cigarettes generally increased with age (see Table 1 and Figure 1).
Ever use of vapes was more common among girls than boys (24.2% vs 15.0%).
Among current vapers, 34.5% were also current smokers (dual users).