FEATURE
NO ONE SIZE
FITS ALL FOR
STOP SMOKING
SERVICES AND
VAPING
Smoking rates are falling but despite
progression, there’s still no national
policy on what makes a stop smoking
service vape-friendly.
By Leo Forfar
The battle against smoking is a complex field in constant need of
adjustment on a number of fronts. Cigarette taxes, price hikes,
packaging regulations, public service announcements, public bans
and advertising restrictions have created a mainstream culture in
favour of not only reducing rates but eradicating the habit.
The integration of stop smoking services into the UK’s healthcare
system has aided a wider cultural shift against the activity, and the
UK’s smoking rate has fallen to the second lowest in Europe.
Many stop smoking services in the UK are still wrestling with the
questions of how far they should go in e-cigarette endorsement and
what such a thing would even look like in practice. The National
Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training has a briefing about
e-cigarettes on its website, but it was last updated in January
2016. Though support for vaping is growing amongst many people
personally involved in the services, it has yet to substantially take
root in a coordinated, institutional way.
The last year has proven to be a ground-breaking period for
scientific studies into the safety of vaping compared to smoking and
effectiveness for people trying to quit.
A recent study by Dr Hannah Farrimond investigated the performance
of the UK’s services. The results compelled the researchers to urge
for both support and consistency in policy. The study found a small
number of services which may serve as test cases moving forward:
some were incorporating e-cigarettes, others were collaborating
with vape shops and one had even started a voucher scheme to
better aid people from vulnerable groups access e-cigarettes.
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