The proportion of secondary school pupils in Wales regularly vaping has fallen for the first time since 2019, according to new data from the Schools Health Research Network (SHRN).
The latest SHRN Student Health and Well-being Survey found that 5.2 per cent of learners in years 7 to 11 reported vaping at least once a week in 2025, down from 7 per cent in 2023.
The survey, conducted every two years among more than 130,000 learners in years 7 to 11 at mainstream secondary schools across Wales, represents a reduction of around 3,200 young people regularly vaping compared with 2023.
The latest figure is also broadly comparable with the 5.5 per cent recorded in 2021.
Vaping rates fell across all measures included in the survey, including every year group and among both boys and girls.
Among Year 11 pupils, regular vaping fell from 15.9 per cent in 2023 to 12.8 per cent in 2025.
Girls continued to be more likely than boys to report regular vaping, at 6.6 per cent compared with 3.7 per cent. However, both figures were down from 8.6 per cent and 5.1 per cent, respectively, in 2023.
The proportion of Year 7 pupils reporting weekly vaping also fell, from 0.8 per cent in 2023 to 0.6 per cent in 2025.
The fall comes amid increased public and policy attention on youth vaping, including the ban on single-use vapes introduced in June 2025.
However, the survey authors said it is not yet possible to determine how much of the decline can be attributed to the ban, with evidence on its impact still emerging.
The decline is nevertheless consistent with evidence from other sources showing that vaping rates among young people fell following the announcement of the disposable vape ban.
The survey also recorded a further decline in regular smoking among secondary school pupils.
Just 1.8 per cent of learners reported smoking at least weekly in 2025, compared with 2.7 per cent in 2023 and 3.1 per cent in 2021.
This represents around 1,600 fewer young people smoking regularly compared with the 2023 data.
Public Health Wales said the latest figures indicate that overall nicotine use among children and young people is now falling, following several years in which vaping had driven an upward trend.
Mary-Ann McKibben, consultant in public health for Public Health Wales, said the fall in both vaping and smoking was “extremely welcome” following several years of rising youth vape use.
“In analysing the data from the SHRN report, we can identify that overall nicotine use is now falling among children and young people following an ongoing upward trend driven by vaping,” she said.
“While there are likely to be a number of factors influencing this change in behaviour, including public health work with schools to address vaping and smoking and wider public awareness of the harms associated with vaping, the introduction of the disposable vapes ban in June 2025 to address youth vaping may have played a part.”
She said Public Health Wales would continue monitoring youth nicotine use to establish whether the latest figures represent a one-off change or the beginning of a sustained downward trend.
The latest survey was completed before the Tobacco and Vapes Act became law. The legislation introduces further measures aimed at reducing the appeal of vaping to children and young people, including restrictions covering flavours, packaging, display and marketing.
Public Health Wales said the high-profile public discussion around the legislation may also have influenced young people's attitudes and behaviour.