Vape Day 2025: Two Decades of Data and Life-Changing Stories

World Vape Day 2025, celebrated on 30 May, shines a spotlight on a major public health breakthrough: the sharp decline in smoking rates in regions that have embraced harm reduction and vaping. With countries like Sweden nearing smoke-free status and New Zealand achieving record-low smoking rates, this year’s theme—“20 Years of Facts”—honors the scientific research and real-life experiences that demonstrate the powerful, positive impact of vaping.

Nations that adopt harm reduction strategies—such as Sweden, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand—are seeing record-breaking drops in smoking rates. In contrast, countries with restrictive policies continue to fall behind. Research from leading health authorities confirms that vaping is significantly less harmful than smoking and more effective than traditional nicotine replacement therapies. However, bans and flavor restrictions risk driving people back to smoking.

“As the evidence grows, the transformation that harm reduction has brought to public health is impossible to ignore,” said Dr. Nazmul Huda, Senior Consultant at Azgar Ali Medical College & Hospital. “In Sweden, widespread access to safer nicotine products has nearly eradicated smoking, and New Zealand is well on its way to a smoke-free future. The data is clear: when adults have access to regulated vaping products, smoking rates drop more rapidly, more lives are saved, and health inequalities are reduced.

Yet, too often, these success stories are left out of the global conversation. On World Vape Day, we urge policymakers to put facts before fear—listen to the real experiences of those who have quit smoking—and ensure that innovation continues to drive progress against smoking-related disease.”

Despite this progress, harm reduction is frequently absent from global tobacco control discussions, particularly around World No Tobacco Day on 31 May. World Vape Day aims to challenge and expand that narrative by putting lived experience, public health innovation, and scientific evidence at the center of the conversation.