PRODUCT WATCH ROUNDUP We’ve added new information to ASH Wales Product Watch about nicotine products that may be less familiar. Pouchless nicotine pods have a UK-facing retail listing: these small oral portions have no outer pouch and are not designed to melt. We’ve also added international examples of ultra-thin and semi-gel nicotine pouches, and updated our page on gels, creams, sprays and nasal inhalers. UK or Welsh availability has not been established for those international examples. These updates explain what the products are, what is verified and what remains uncertain. They do not establish how widely any product is used in Wales.
NEW RESEARCH • 2026
Smoking and Social Housing in Wales
These findings are part of the ASH Wales Annual Adult Population Survey 2026, now published in full. This page focuses on smoking, vaping, health, household smoking and tobacco-control attitudes among people living in social housing in Wales. For the wider national picture, see smoking statistics and facts in Wales.
Social-housing subgroup: unweighted base 130 • Drawn from the 2026 survey of 1,119 Welsh adults • Fieldwork 18 February–19 March 2026
Headline findings
The figures below come from the published social-housing subgroup. They should be read as ASH Wales/YouGov survey findings, not as official National Survey for Wales prevalence estimates.
28%
currently smoke
Compared with 12% across Wales in this survey
20%
smoke every day
Social-housing subgroup
21%
currently vape
Compared with 12% across Wales in this survey
57%
believe vaping is as harmful as, or more harmful than, smoking
Among the social-housing findings reported
33%
reported a mental-health condition treated in the past year
Self-reported
23%
reported someone smoking in the home most days
Compared with 12% across Wales in this survey
Health and home
Health information in this report is self-reported and was not verified against clinical or NHS records.
Small n
COPD percentage not reported
Numbers too small for reliable subgroup reporting
26%
reported depression
Compared with 13% across Wales in this survey
11%
reported being on an NHS mental-health waiting list
Compared with 6% across Wales in this survey
9%
of households with children under 18 reported someone smoking in the home most days
Published report finding
Illegal tobacco and attitudes
8% of social-housing respondents said they may have bought tobacco that was smuggled or untaxed in the previous 12 months, compared with 3% across Wales in this survey. This is a self-reported survey measure and is not an estimate of the size of the illegal tobacco market.
The report also records high support for several smoke-free measures among social-housing respondents, including 91% support for smoke-free school grounds and 91% support for smoke-free children’s play areas.
Explore practical projects
Looking for examples of smoking support in housing and communities? Our case-study hub brings together practical projects, their findings and lessons for delivery, alongside examples from pregnancy and healthcare services.
About the research
The survey was conducted online by YouGov plc for ASH Wales Cymru. The total sample was 1,119 Welsh adults aged 18+ and was weighted to be representative of the Welsh adult population by age, gender, social grade and region.
The social-housing subgroup – local authority or housing-association tenants – has an unweighted base of 130. All figures in the published report are drawn from questions asked of that full subgroup. Health conditions and waiting-list status are self-reported.