Vaping can help smokers quit for good
The Government recently announced its new vaping ‘swap to stop’ policy. This new scheme will offer free vapes and e-liquids to smokers to assist them in quitting and is the first initiative of its kind.
As the Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Vaping, I would like to commend the government for this bold step which reflects our collective commitment to promoting public health, reducing the burden on our NHS, and moving towards a smokefree England.
Vaping is a crucial piece of the harm reduction puzzle, and the Government has been very clear that it has an important role to play in reducing the harm of smoking, and we know from the data that it is working.
For years, we have witnessed the detrimental effects of smoking on both individuals and our healthcare system. It is a well-known fact that smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable disease and death, claiming around 78,000 lives in the UK every year. The financial strain on the NHS is also substantial, with smoking-related illnesses costing an estimated £2.5 billion annually.
In light of these statistics, it is crucial to explore innovative and effective strategies for reducing smoking rates. The world-leading vaping “swap to stop” policy does just that. By endorsing vapes as one of the most effective, and significantly less harmful, alternatives to smoking cigarettes, the government is taking an evidenced-based approach to help smokers quit tobacco for good.
A growing body of evidence supports the efficacy of vapes in helping smokers quit. Public Health England, now the UK Health Security Agency, has concluded that vaping is at least 95% less harmful than smoking, and recent studies have demonstrated that vapes are nearly twice as effective as nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) for smoking cessation.
Of course, it is essential to address concerns about youth vaping and the potential risks associated with using vapes. The government's policy includes new enforcement squads to prevent underage access to vaping products and clear public health messaging on the risks associated with vaping for non-smokers. These measures ensure that the focus remains on supporting adult smokers in their journey to quit via less harmful alternatives.
The vaping ‘swap to stop’ policy sends a clear message: the UK is committed to embracing innovative, evidence-based solutions to public health challenges. However, while our policies here in the UK have been guided by real world data, science, and the latest evidence generated by our academic institutions, this is not the case in most countries.
Even more importantly, this is not the case when it comes to the World Health Organization and the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Unfortunately, the WHO and the FCTC have stubbornly continued to ignore the evidence about the benefits that regulated nicotine products that don’t burn tobacco can bring to public health.
As we look ahead to the Tenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP10) to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, it is essential that the UK seizes this opportunity to not only reaffirm our commitment to reducing smoking-related harm domestically, but also to position the UK as a global leader in harm reduction strategies.
COP10 presents a unique platform for the UK to advocate for the wider adoption of harm reduction policies, such as the vaping swap to stop initiative, by sharing our experiences and success stories around less harmful alternatives with the international community.
By doing so, we can help promote a more pragmatic and evidence-based approach to tobacco control worldwide, ultimately saving millions of lives and reducing the global burden of smoking-related diseases.
By championing harm reduction at COP10, the UK can play a pivotal role in shaping global tobacco control policies for the better. As Chair of the Vaping APPG, I am proud to support this initiative, and I urge my colleagues in Parliament, public health officials, and the general public to join us in supporting and celebrating our journey towards a smokefree future.
Let's hope that other countries can learn from our positive experiences and actions here in the UK over recent years and reinvigorate their own efforts to end the scourge of, and damage caused by, smoking tobacco.
Mark Pawsey is the former Conservative MP for Rugby and former Chair of the APPG for Vaping.
