Non-daily smokers represent a substantial and growing sector, but they often underestimate the harm they are doing to themselves
Even though the proportion of people who don’t smoke every day has increased over the past 20 years, smoking is still a subject for discussion. And according to a new study the proportion that are motivated to quit smoking is falling.
For the study, the research team from University College London (UCL) investigated cigarette consumption among 353,711 adults – 66,792 of whom were current smokers – with an average age of 49 using data collected between 2006 and 2024.
The results are encouraging as cigarette smoking decreased from 24.6% to 13.7% and the proportion of smokers who don’t smoke every day (irregular smokers) increased from 11.0% to 27.2%.
The improvement was particularly dramatic among younger adults and those who vape, with the proportion of irregular smokers increasing from 15.6% to 52.8% among 18-year-olds and from 8.6% to 34.2% among those who vape.
However, between 2006-9 and 2021-24, the proportion of irregular smokers, highly motivated to quit within the next three months, decreased from 30.8% to 21.0%. UCL lead author Dr Sarah Jackson said: “Cigarette smoking is incredibly harmful, even for people who don’t smoke every day. Non-daily smokers represent a substantial and growing proportion of smokers, but they often underestimate the harms of their smoking and appear to be decreasingly motivated to quit.”
Maybe irregular smoking is a reaction to increases in the costs of cigarettes and tobacco, and the increasing popularity of vaping may enable smokers to extend periods between cigarettes and reduce their motivation to quit smoking.
The authors conclude that information campaigns may be useful in reminding people of the differences between vaping and smoking, and that vaping can be an effective method to quit smoking altogether.
But public health messaging should aim to reduce the prevalence of smoking and emphasise the negative health impacts of smoking itself.
Cancer Research UK’s Ian Walker said, “We know that any level of smoking is damaging for your health. That’s why we’re calling on the UK government to help everyone access the tools they need to quit smoking for good.
“Ensuring there is sustainable and sufficient funding for cessation services across the UK is key to this.
“Smoking rates do not fall on their own – they come down with government action. It’s vital that the UK government introduces legislation to raise the age of sale for tobacco products.
“The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will help to build a healthier future, prevent cancer, and protect people from a lifetime of deadly addiction.”
