Windsor’s MP has defended vaping has an “effective” way to reduce tobacco use after speaking at a major conference.

Adam Afriyie spoke at the conference of the Global Tobacco and Nicotine Forum in South Korea in September, where he spoke about the UK government’s approach to reducing the harms of tobacco.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “I am proud of the UK’s progress in harm reduction and as a former Vice Chair of the APPG on Vaping I was always pleased to accept speaking invitations and to share our UK success story.

"As the independent Khan Review noted, almost six million people still smoke in England and smoking remains the single biggest cause of preventable illness and death.

“My crusade is to ensure that legislation is evidence based and led by the science. Vaping saves lives as one of the most effective ways to quit smoking, and I continue to urge all smokers to quit the deadly habit.”

The Global Tobacco and Nicotine Forum (GTNF) is described on its website as the “world’s leading annual conference discussing the future of the tobacco and nicotine industries.”

According to the parliamentary register of MPs’ financial interests, Mr Afriyie received  £8,384.88 from the GTFN Trust towards the trip, which covered flights, transfers, accommodation and meals.

However, Mr Afriyie’s office has added that he did not receive a fee for speaking at the conference - where he spoke about the UK's legislative approach to harm reduction from tobacco.

It comes amid vast drops in the adult smoking rates in the UK over the past decade.

The Office for National Statistics estimates that 12.9 per cent of UK adults were smokers in 2022, a substantial drop from 20.2 per cent in 2011.

In the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, the smoking rate in 2022 was even lower than the national average at just 8.6 per cent.

Neighbouring Slough, on the other hand, had a higher rate at 15.2 per cent.

The NHS Better Health website describes vaping as “one of the most effective tools” for stopping smoking.

However, it adds that it is “not completely harmless” and only recommends it as a tool for quitting tobacco smoking.