Stoptober 2018 promotes vaping!

The ‘Stoptober’ stop smoking campaign was launched by Public Health England in 2012 and, since it started, over 1 million people have used Stoptober to help them quit.

The premise behind the campaign is that you’re 5 times more likely to quit smoking for good if you don’t smoke for 28 days.

Stoptober offers support via an app, social media and daily emails, as well as free face-to-face advice from professionals via local Stop Smoking services.

For the 2018 campaign, smokers looking to quit are being warned not to go "cold turkey".

Government health officials have said smokers stand a much greater chance of succeeding giving up by using official NHS support or turning to e-cigarettes.

Research has shown only 4% of those who go "cold turkey" remain smoke-free after a year.

For the second year running this Stoptober, Public Health England is advocating the use of e-cigarettes to help quit smoking. In fact, they claim that people who choose the vaping route have some of the highest quitting success rates.

The NHS Smokefree website contains this quote regarding e-cigarette usage:

“There is growing evidence that e-cigarettes can help people stop smoking, with similar or better results than nicotine replacement therapies such as patches. It is important to use your e-cigarette enough to properly manage your cravings – people who use e-cigarettes too little or too rarely have less success at quitting smoking. Smokers who use an e-cigarette and get support from their local stop smoking service have the highest quit rates, with around two-thirds quitting successfully.”

According to ASH (Action on Smoking and Health), electronic cigarettes have played a significant role in helping the UK have the second lowest smoking rates in the EU. They released a statement about the positive message that Stoptober is sending by including vaping in their campaign.

“With the help of Stoptober there has never been a better time to try to quit smoking. We know that smokers find e-cigarettes helpful in quitting so it’s great that Stoptober is encouraging their use for the first time this year.”
Hazel Cheeseman, ASH Director of Policy

There are currently 2.9 million adults who vape in England. Of these, 1.5 million have stopped smoking tobacco completely. Independent research from Public Health England and the Royal College of Physicians in 2015, concluded that vaping is at least 95% safer than smoking. A more recent study from 2017, funded by Cancer Research UK, found long-term vaping to be 97% safer.

Despite this amazing news, negative press and misinformation about e-cigarettes has led to the public’s perception of vaping to be distorted from the true benefits. This is why it is so important, and such a step forward, that Public Health England is explicitly promoting vaping through the Stoptober campaign as a real solution to quitting smoking for good.

Some of the key benefits of vaping, compared to tobacco smoking are:

• Vaping offers the 'oral fixation' simulation to smoking along with the nicotine and throat hit found in smoking
• Vaping allows you to inhale nicotine without most of the harmful effects of smoking
• When you vape, nothing is burnt, there is no smoke.
• E-liquid contains only three components plus nicotine. The three components are Vegetable Glycerine, Propylene Glycol and flavourings, all of which are often found in food products
• Modern rechargeable e-cigarettes deliver nicotine more quickly and effectively than cigarettes
• E-cigarettes are tightly regulated for safety and quality by the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD)

What about risks from nicotine?

While nicotine is the addictive substance in cigarettes, it is relatively harmless. Almost all of the harm from smoking comes from the thousands of chemicals contained in tobacco smoke, many of which are toxic. Nicotine replacement therapy has been widely used for many years to help people to stop smoking and is a safe form of treatment.

Is e-cigarette vapour harmful to others?

So far, there is no evidence that vaping causes harm to other people around you. The available evidence indicates that any risk of harm is extremely low, especially when compared with secondhand tobacco smoke.

Does it make children more likely to vape?

It is illegal to sell e-cigarette products to anyone under 18 or for adults to buy them on behalf of under 18s. Experimenting with e-cigarettes isn’t unheard of among young people; however, regular e-cigarette use is rare, with only 1% using them at least weekly. Vaping remains largely confined to regular smokers.

Ultimately, all the evidence points to vaping being a massive help to people who want to quit smoking for good. For that reason, we at Vape UK are once again joining the Stoptober revolution to help people who want to quit smoking get their best shot at succeeding.  

As the tagline for this year's campaign states, "Quitting smoking is easier with the right support".

At Vape UK, as well as offering the highest quality products, we also pride ourselves on our expert knowledge and outstanding customer service. This means that we're on hand to provide the advice and support you need to help ensure you choose the right products, and have the best chance of success.

We have tons of helpful guides in our Resources section. To help you through Stoptober, you might find our guide to the 'Benefits of Switching from Smoking to Vaping' particularly useful. Read it here.