Free Vape Trial Yields Promising Results
A recent trial in Great Yarmouth has revealed that free e-cigs could help as many as 2 million smokers in the UK quit.
In research led by the University of East Anglia, the local council handed out free e-cigarette vouchers in an effort to help people in the town stop smoking. Of the 340 who redeemed the voucher, 143 managed to go smoke-free for at least 4 weeks, representing a 42% success rate – equivalent to over two-fifths.
Following the trial’s success, Norfolk County Council has decided to roll out the scheme nationwide, so with around 5 million smokers in the UK this means approximately 2 million could be encouraged to quit their health-destroying habit!
Specifics of the Trial
For the trial, the participants were referred by themselves, their GP or another health service. Each person participating in the study was given a £25 voucher for a starter kit of their choice.
From December 2019 to July 2021, a total of 668 participants were referred and for the ones who eventually redeemed the voucher, continuing advice and support was offered. The participants – who had a mean age of 41.4 years old – were required to cover the ongoing costs of using their e-cig for e-liquid, vape coils etc.
“Effective Way of Quitting Smoking”
Since they hit the mainstream around 15 years ago, vapes have been the most successful stop-smoking aid on the market. Millions of people across the world have used e-cigarettes to quit smoking, which Public Health England (PHE) says are 95% safer than conventional cigarettes.
Prof Caitlin Notley, from UEA’s Norwich Medical School, said compared to other methods, vaping was an “effective way of quitting smoking”.
She said: “Our research has previously shown that they may be particularly helpful in helping people to not only quit, but to stay quit for good.”
The trial not only offered smokers an “affordable route into vaping”, Prof Notley said, but also the support of their GP who “supported the scheme and appreciated being able to offer an alternative to entrenched smokers”.