Cancer warning after big rise in people smoking pipes and cigars

The number of people smoking pipes, shisha and cigars in the UK has risen fivefold over 10 years, and experts say this could lead to a rise in smoking-related cancers such as those affecting the mouth and lungs.

- Tobi Thomas

Last year there were about 772,800 exclusive non-cigarette tobacco users, compared with 151,200 in 2013, according to a study in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research.

The figures are based on research by UCL academics, who surveyed a representative sample of about 1,700 adults a month on their smoking habits between 2013 and 2023.

The research found that the greatest increase in the use of noncigarette tobacco was among young adults, with 3% of 18-year-olds using these forms, compared with 1.1% of 65-year-olds. The study also found the prevalence to be higher among men and current vapers.

From 2022 to 2023 one in 10 smokers used only non-cigarette tobacco, such as in cigars and shisha pipes.

Cigars, shisha, cigarillos and pipes are non-cigarette forms of smoking and can be more harmful than cigarettes.