A recent study from the University of East Anglia suggests that offering vape starter kit vouchers on the NHS could aid in the cessation of even seasoned smokers.
To assist patients who had attempted to stop smoking without success in the past, researchers established a pilot vape store voucher program in collaboration with GPs and the NHS stop smoking service, which is assigned locally by Public Health at Norfolk County Council.
The Norfolk County Council-funded program was evaluated and found to be a great achievement, with 42 percent of the habitual smokers who were assigned to it and used their vape voucher quitting in one month.
The program has been implemented in the whole of Norfolk following a successful pilot stage, and the study team is hopeful that it will eventually be implemented nationally to aid in the cessation of smoking by more people.
UEA’s Norwich Medical School’s Prof. Caitlin Notley, the study’s lead researcher, and an addiction specialist stated: “Research demonstrates that, when compared to nicotine replacement therapy like gum and patches, vaping is a successful method of quitting smoking. In order to stop smoking, vapes or electronic cigarettes are presently the most preferred method.
“Previous study has indicated that they may be especially beneficial in encouraging individuals to quit as well as assist them to stay away from smoking permanently.
“We wanted to find out if the stop-smoking service and GPs handing out vape shop coupons may aid smokers in quitting. We really intended to reach smokers who were weak and disadvantaged and had tried unsuccessfully to stop using various methods,” she added.
Norfolk’s Director of Public Health, Dr. Louise Smith, commended the partnership with UEA on this council-led project to expand services to help individuals give up smoking.
In an effort to assist patients in Great Yarmouth who had tried to quit smoking in the past without succeeding, the team collaborated with local doctors’ offices.
Great Yarmouth has a tobacco smoking rate of about 21%, compared to the rest of Norfolk’s population of 14% and the national average of 15%.
Out of these, 340 went ahead to redeem their vouchers afterward.
Apart from receiving their starter kit, those who took part also received further support from Smoke-free Norfolk and tips on the strengths and flavors of e-liquids.
Alongside GPs, workers from vape shops, and members of Smoke-free Norfolk, the research team also spoke with some of the participants to learn more about their experiences.
In order to encourage more individuals to transition from smoking to vaping and lower the number of people who still smoke cigarettes, the team hopes that a similar voucher program might be implemented across the UK.
Norfolk County Council sponsored the study, which was headed by the UAE in collaboration with the public health team alongside the local stop-smoking service Smokefree Norfolk.
On August 19, the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research published an article titled “A pilot e-cigarette voucher scheme in a rural county of the United Kingdom.”
