Research shows that if smokers manage to stay off cigarettes for 28 days, they’re five times more likely to quit smoking for good.
Stoptober is an annual public health campaign held in the UK aimed at encouraging smokers to quit smoking for the month of October. Launched by Public Health England in 2012, the initiative supports smokers with a range of free resources, including personal quit plans, an app, and access to local support services. Research shows that if smokers manage to stay off cigarettes for 28 days, they’re five times more likely to quit smoking for good.Supported and promoted by the NHS, the campaign recommends the use of smoking cessation aids including nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs), such as patches, sprays, gum and lozenges, nicotine vapes and prescription-only medicines, to help ease the transition.This year’s Stoptober campaign introduces new tools to support smokers quitting. Key features include personalized quit plans based on individual smoking habits, accessible through the Stoptober app, offering daily tips and motivation. Participants also get free expert support from local Stop Smoking Services, online communities, and virtual quit coaches.
As part of the campaign, David Phillips at Alternix is recommending nicotine pouches as a method to gradually reduce nicotine intake and quit smoking. Nicotine pouches offer a slower, controlled release of nicotine through the lining of the mouth, helping manage cravings without smoking. They come in various strengths, allowing users to taper down their nicotine use over time. Combining nicotine pouches with other strategies like exercise and support groups can improve the chances of successfully quitting smoking.
UK authorities seem to ignore the recommendations
Meanwhile, the UK government has made it clear that it plans to regulate the sale and marketing of vapes by reintroducing an updated Tobacco & Vapes Bill. This includes a generational smoking ban aims to prohibit anyone born after January 1, 2009, and further regulations on safer nicotine products like vapes and nicotine pouches, including their flavour, packaging, and display.
However, tobacco harm reduction (THR) experts argue against this approach, stating that generational smoking bans are ineffective as prohibitions generally fail. They advocate for integrating less harmful alternatives like vaping into anti-smoking efforts, emphasizing scientific evidence and successful examples, such as Sweden. THR strategies focus on offering less harmful alternatives, such as e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches, to reduce smoking rates.
THR yields results
Studies show that these alternatives can be highly effective. For instance, Sweden’s endorsement of snus and nicotine pouches for smoking cessation, has contributed to the lowest smoking rates in Europe, at almost 5% of Swedes smoking daily. Similarly, the latest research from ASH (Action on Smoking and Health) UK, shows that vaping has played a significant role in reducing smoking rates in the UK. Their data indicate that around 2.7 million adults now use e-cigarettes, with more than half being ex-smokers who successfully quit smoking. Additionally, the proportion of smokers in the UK has declined steadily, supported by the growing number of people switching to vaping as a less harmful alternative.
Moreover, Public Health England has consistently highlighted that vaping is 95% less harmful than smoking, leading to a significant drop in smoking-related diseases.
These real-world examples highlight THR’s potential in lowering smoking rates and experts warn that ignoring this evidence and persisting with ineffective policies, which is seemingly the trajectory the UK is taking, could lead to increased harm and higher smoking rates.
https://www.vapingpost.com/2024/05/23/the-uk-government-is-urged-to-address-the-misinformation-presented-to-the-tobacco-and-vapes-bill-committee/
