Push to give smokers e-cigarette ‘starter kits’ might backfire, claims doctor 

A GP has warned that the government’s new stop smoking vape program could lead smokers to trade one addiction for another and develop health problems.

It comes as one million smokers will be offered vape ‘starter kits’ in a world-first policy aimed at making England smoke-free.

The free kits will be offered to nearly one in five of all smokers in England at an estimated cost of £45 million over two years.

While the long-term health effects of using the devices are still unknown, they are widely believed to be much safer than traditional smoking.

But GP Dr Monah Mansoori said vaping is not ‘risk free’ and she was concerned about the new regulation.

Professor Martin McKee, a public health expert from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, is another health expert opposed to the new regulation

“Certainly, we don’t know what’s going to happen 30, 40, 50 years from now,” she told Sky News.

She added that the new exchange program could also cause smokers to simply trade one addiction for another without proper support.

“I’m a little concerned about this news because I think you may be resigning to something you may never be able to get rid of,” she said.

“Most respiratory experts and doctors don’t really like vaping because we see lung damage caused by vaping and e-cigarettes…even in the short term.”

The new policy, announced this morning as part of a series of government anti-tobacco measures, will see vaping distributed to smokers.

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

Vaping devices typically cost around £20 to £30, plus more for replacement cartridges.

But some critics say vaping isn’t particularly effective at helping people quit smoking.

Professor Martin McKee, a public health expert from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said: ‘Given the pressures facing the NHS, one wonders whether this is a good use of resources, given that 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.

“They don’t increase the quit rate that much, and when people use them to quit, they’re more likely to relapse than those who haven’t used them.”

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

Other elements of the new crackdown on smoking include offering up to £400 vouchers to pregnant women to give up smoking, and a consultation on introducing mandatory smoking cessation advice on cigarette packs.

The measures are designed to help the government 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 officially launch the schemes in a speech today, is expected to say: ‘Up to two in three lifetime smokers will die from smoking.

‘Cigarettes are the only product on the market that will kill you if used correctly.

“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.”

Over 3 million people in England are believed to vape with health experts and the NHS claiming the devices are much safer than smoking.

Since vapors contain a liquid form of nicotine that is heated to vapor to be inhaled, rather than ignited directly, they avoid the many harms caused by traditional tobacco smoke.

Vaping supporters point to British research that estimates e-cigarettes helped more than 50,000 smokers in England to quit in 2017, but some brands’ colorful packaging and sweet flavors are blamed on an increase in vaping among children (stock image)

Vape kits being offered to smokers are part of a range of new smoking cessation policies announced by the government, while another is offering pregnant women up to £400 in vouchers to kick the habit (stock image)

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 multiple studies cast doubt on the use of e-cigarettes as a way to quit smoking, as people often both smoke and vape.

And the World Health Organization has said e-cigarettes are “undoubtedly harmful.”

Some of the liquids used to flavor e-cigarettes have been linked in rare cases to ‘popcorn lung’ – a serious health problem that may require a lung transplant in extreme cases.

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

Obviously, people are not prescribed vaping starter kits by their GP, but can request them from public health centers or smoking cessation services.

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 still smoke during pregnancy and hope a financial incentive alongside behavioral support will see them all quit 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 crack down on underage vape sales and announce its illegal sale to prevent children from taking up the habit.

NHS Digital data shows the number of children who are current vapers has surged in recent years, from 6 per cent in 2018 to 9 per cent in 2021

Experts have highlighted their concern that children are not fully aware of the contents of e-cigarettes.

Concerns have grown that some vape manufacturers are targeting their products at children using colorful branding and candy flavors.

A look into Britain’s children’s vaping epidemic: Our gruesome investigation exposes predatory tactics of candy shops selling e-cigs, vivacious ‘dupes’ made to resemble Skittles and Jolly Ranchers… and the kids are marked for life

But despite this, Britain’s advertising watchdog has sensationally claimed that the devices are not aimed at children, despite being marketed similarly to sweets.

NHS figures for 2021 showed that 9 per cent of 11 to 15 year old children used e-cigarettes, up from 6 per cent in 2018.

Around £3million in funding will be used for an ‘illegal vapes enforcement crew’.

But despite health chiefs insisting that vaping is safer than smoking, it’s not without risks.

E-cigarettes still contain harmful toxins, according to a study by researchers at the Medical University of Silesia in Poland.

And their long-term effect on health remains a mystery, with some doctors fearing a surge in lung disease and even cancer in the decades to come.

Experts are also concerned that the high nicotine content could raise blood pressure and cause other heart problems.

Britain’s best-selling vape, known to be popular with children, was pulled from stores after the Mail revealed it was 50 per cent above 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.

Despite it being illegal to sell e-cigarettes to those under 18, their use among children has been on the rise for years.