Government to offer a million vape ‘starter kits’ in bid to make Britain smoke-free

One million smokers will be offered vape ‘starter kits’ in a world first policy to make England smoke free.

Despite a deluge of evidence about the health risks of vaping, the free kits will be offered to nearly one in five of all smokers in England.

The NHS has long advised that vaping can help smokers quit, but has never given people the equipment to get started.

Vaping devices typically cost around £20 to £30, plus more for replacement cartridges. Critics say vaping isn’t particularly effective at helping people give up.

But it is the focus of a new crackdown, which will see pregnant women offer up to £400 worth of smoking cessation vouchers, and launched a consultation about introducing mandatory smoking cessation advice on cigarette packs.

The government is aiming to meet its target of being smoke free by 2030, which means reducing the number of smokers to 5 percent or less.

Health Minister Neil O’Brien, who will launch the plans today, is expected to say: ‘Up to two in three lifetime smokers will die from smoking. Cigarettes are the only product for sale that can kill you if used properly.

“We are going to offer a million smokers new help to quit. We will fund a new national swap to stop program – the first of its kind in the world.”

But Professor Martin McKee from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said: ‘Given the pressures the NHS is facing, one wonders whether this is a good use of resources, as a substantial increase in tobacco taxes would be more effective.

‘E-cigarettes have only been shown to help people quit if they’re part of a supervised, time-limited behavioral support package – and even then they’re not particularly good.

“We need to focus on plain packaging, a ban on attractive e-liquid flavors and a stop on advertising vape products.”

The starter kits offer smokers a choice of products, strengths and flavors and at the same time receive support in quitting smoking.

Obviously, they can be requested from community health centers or smoking cessation services.

More than three million people in England are believed to vape and experts agree that the devices are safer than smoking as they contain a liquid form of nicotine that is heated to vapor to be inhaled, avoiding harmful tobacco smoke.

Vaping advocates point to British research that estimates e-cigarettes helped more than 50,000 smokers in England to quit in 2017.

But the World Health Federation has warned that there are many studies casting doubt on the use of e-cigarettes to quit smoking.

The stop-to-swap scheme is estimated by officials to cost around £45 million over two years.

Officials say 9 per cent of women in England smoke during pregnancy and hope everyone will quit with a financial incentive and behavioral support by the end of the year.

Deborah Arnott, chief executive of the Action on Smoking and Health campaign, said: ‘Vapes increase smokers’ chances of successfully quitting, as do vouchers for pregnant smokers, so these are welcome steps in the right direction, but they are nowhere near enough . ‘

The government will also announce a £3 million ‘illegal vapes enforcement team’ to crack down on underage and illicit sales.

A popular vape was pulled from UK stores after the Mail revealed it was 50 per cent over the legal nicotine limit.

Elf Bar withdrew its 600 product, which accounted for two-thirds of disposable vapes bought in the UK, after the health watchdog intervened.