England is reaping success in getting people to quit smoking with the help of e-cigarettes. The national 'Swap to Stop' programme is spreading from local authority to local authority, but in parallel the government is introducing new bans on disposable vejps.
'Swap to Stop' is a world-first national initiative where almost a fifth of all smokers in England will receive a vejp starter pack to help them quit smoking. It's all part of the government's ambition to be smoke-free by 2030 - and reduce smoking rates to five per cent or less among the population. The initiative started in 2023 when the the UK government launched the comprehensive programme in partnership with the London Tobacco Alliance, an advocacy group that originally worked to make London smoke-free.
Local actors in municipalities
In total, one million smokers in the country will receive free e-cigarettes through Swap to Stop. The project will run for two years and is coordinated with local stop-smoking centres. Now is the time for tobacco inhalers in the community Bath and North East Somerset in south-west England. They are being encouraged to swap their cigarettes for vejps through a free offer from B&NES Stop Smoking Service, the local operator in the borough. The offer includes a refillable and rechargeable vejp device as well as a four-week supply of e-liquids and other accessories needed to successfully make the switch.
2.7 million who stopped using vejp
New data from Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) shows that more than half of ex-smokers in the UK who quit in the last five years used e-cigarettes during their last and final attempt. This equates to around 2.7 million ex-smokers.
- There is strong evidence that vejp helps people to stop smoking and it is less harmful than smoking. We are delighted to be part of the national 'Swap to Stop' programme in B&NES, giving local smokers the opportunity to try vejping at no cost. We know how difficult it is to quit smoking and most smokers have tried many times. Vaping is currently the most popular and effective way to quit, so I urge smokers to take advantage of this fantastic offer," said Becky Reynolds, Public Health Manager for Bath & North East Somerset Council, to the local newspaper MNR Journal.
Initiatives and bans in parallel
A resident of Bath and North East Somerset, Brenda, shared her experience in the same newspaper.
- I received a free vejpkit and my counsellor also recommended some nicotine patches. I am smoke free and feel great. The vape helps a lot and I find the patches help too.
Recently, the UK seems somewhat divided in its approach to e-cigarettes. In parallel with the Swap to Stop programme, the government proposed a ban on the sale of disposable vejps in early 2024. They say this is to reduce the number of young people using vejps, a figure that has risen sharply in recent years. In England, unlike other countries that have moved away from the ban, there is so far no talk of banning anything other than single-use variants. However, a possible ban on flavours specifically marketed to children has been mooted.
