In a bid to encourage smokers to quit tobacco, the UK government has announced a new scheme that will provide one million smokers with a free vape starter kit and support. The Swap To Stop scheme, which will also offer pregnant women who smoke up to £400 in shopping vouchers, aims to reduce the number of smokers in the country and ultimately save lives.
The Swap To Stop Scheme
The Swap To Stop scheme, announced by UK Health Minister Neil O’Brien, aims to provide one in five smokers in the country with a free vaping kit. The scheme will also offer pregnant women who smoke up to £400 in shopping vouchers as well as behavioural support to help them quit smoking. According to officials, 9% of women in England continue to smoke during pregnancy and this monetary incentive, as well as behavioural support, is expected to encourage them to quit by the end of the year.
Crackdown on the Illegal Sale of E-cigarettes
The government’s move to offer free vaping starter kits to smokers comes as it seeks to crack down on the illegal sale of e-cigarettes to under-18s. A survey by Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) found that vaping among 11- to 17-year-olds had increased from 3.3% in 2021 to 7% last year. With the Swap To Stop scheme, the government hopes to reduce the number of young people smoking and ultimately save lives.
Welcome Steps in the Right Direction
Campaigners have welcomed the new measures as “welcome steps in the right direction” but said they are “nowhere near sufficient”. The free vaping starter kit will come with a range of products, strengths and flavours in order to allow smokers to find the best product for them. The scheme will come from the Department of Health and Social Care’s budget and will cost roughly £45 million over two years.
Words from the UK Health Minister
Speaking on the scheme, UK Health Minister Neil O’Brien said, “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.”
Conclusion
The UK government’s new Swap To Stop scheme aims to reduce the number of smokers in the country and ultimately save lives. The scheme will offer one million smokers a free vaping starter kit and support, while pregnant women who smoke will be offered up to £400 in shopping vouchers and behavioural support to help them quit smoking. While campaigners have welcomed the new measures as “welcome steps in the right direction”, they have also said that they are “nowhere near sufficient”.
FAQs
What is the Swap To Stop scheme?
The Swap To Stop scheme is a new UK government initiative that aims to reduce the number of smokers in the country and ultimately save lives by offering one million smokers a free vaping starter kit and support.Who is eligible for the free vaping starter kit?
One in five smokers in the country will be eligible for a free vaping starter kit as part of the Swap To Stop scheme.What other support will be provided to smokers?
Pregnant women who smoke will be offered up to £400 in shopping vouchers and behavioural support to help them quit smoking.How much will the Swap To Stop scheme cost?
The scheme will come from the Department of Health and Social Care’s budget and will cost roughly £45 million over two years.