One million smokers are to be encouraged by the government to swap cigarettes for vaping under a new “swap to stop” scheme designed to improve the health of the nation and cut smoking rates.
The scheme, described by the Department of Health and Social Care as a world first, will see almost one in five of all smokers in England provided with a vape starter kit.
They will also be offered behavioural support to help them quit the habit as part of a series of new measures to help the government meet its ambition of being smokefree by 2030 – reducing smoking rates to 5% or less. Local authorities will be invited to take part in the scheme later this year.
However, the move is potentially controversial, given that there are some concerns about the health effects of vaping itself.
Vaping can also cause a headache for employers in terms of how to treat it, for example whether to offer dedicated vaping areas or vaping breaks for employees.
Health Minister Neil O’Brien, in a speech later today, will also announce that pregnant women will be offered financial incentives to help them stop smoking.
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This will involve offering vouchers, alongside behavioural support, to all pregnant women who smoke by the end of next year.
The government will also consult on introducing mandatory cigarette pack inserts with positive messages and information to help people to quit smoking.
O’Brien will say: “Up to two out of three lifelong smokers will die from smoking. Cigarettes are the only product on sale which will kill you if used correctly.
“We will offer a million smokers new help to quit. We will be funding a new national ‘swap to stop’ scheme – the first of its kind in the world. We will work with councils and others to offer a million smokers across England a free vaping starter kit.
“The new policies will deliver the government’s three aims to help more adults quit smoking, stop children and non-smokers from taking up vaping, and using vaping as a tool for established adult smokers to quit,” he will add.
Smoking prevalence in England in 2021 was 13%, the lowest on record, the government has said.
In 2021-22, £68m was spent on stop-smoking services by local authorities and nearly 100,000 people quit with the support of a stop-smoking service.
In addition, £35m has been committed to the NHS this year so that all smokers admitted to hospital are offered NHS-funded tobacco treatment services, the DHSC added.
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However, it is estimated 5.4 million people in England smoke tobacco which remains the single biggest cause of preventable illness and death.
Up to two out of three lifelong smokers will die from smoking and recent data shows one in four deaths from all cancers were estimated to be from smoking.
