Vape swap scheme unveiled by government

A new government scheme will allow smokers to swap cigarettes for vapes in an effort to help them quit.

Billed as a ‘world-first’ scheme and unveiled by Health Minister Neil O’Brien, nearly one in five of all smokers in England will be offered a vape starter kit to help them stop smoking. Behavioural support and financial incentives for pregnant women will also be offered as part of the government’s plan to be smokefree by 2030.

Announcing the measures, Health Minister Neil O’Brien said: “Up to two out of three lifelong smokers will die from smoking. Cigarettes are the only product on sale which will kill you if used correctly.

“We will offer a million smokers new help to quit. We will be funding a new national ‘swap to stop’ scheme - the first of its kind in the world. We will work with councils and others to offer a million smokers across England a free vaping starter kit.”

There will also be a crackdown on illicit vape sales and sales to children as part of the measures. £3m of new funding will also be provided to create a specialised ‘illicit vapes enforcement squad’ to enforce the rules on vaping and tackle illicit vapes and underage sales.

In recognition of the sharp increase of younger people vaping, Minister O’Brien has launched a call for evidence on youth vaping to identify opportunities to reduce the number of children accessing and using vape products - and explore where government can go further.

Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) chief executive James Lowman welcomed the announcement.

“We strongly welcome this course of action from government, harnessing the potential for vaping to accelerate the decline in smoking rates, and it’s encouraging that the government are committing new resource and some innovative approaches to make this happen,” he said. “We are encouraged by Ministers recognising the need to ensure that the vaping market operates properly, which means that only legal product reaches retailers and consumers, and only adults can buy these products. The stronger focus on enforcement, backed by greater resources at a local level, is the right way to achieve this. Our members will welcome and embrace more enforcement activity and our guidance, on recognising legal products and implementing the widely recognised and robust Challenge25 policy to avoid underage sales, is freely available for all retailers to use.”

Lowman added that the ACS will be responding to the call for evidence on youth vaping in due course.

John Dunne, director general of the UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA), said: “We are delighted to learn of this initiative. It clearly represents a watershed moment for the vaping category as the government’s recognition of vaping’s pivotal role in making smoking obselete, is turned into nationwide action. It also means that Britain can get back on track with its smokefree ambition by 2030.”

Independent British Vape Trade Association chief executive officer, Gillian Golden, added, “The IBVTA is delighted with news that the UK Government not only recognises vaping as a safe and effective quit method, but that they are also committing to directly support smokers to quit using vapes. I am also sure that IBVTA members will be pivotal in enabling success for all the new schemes to be announced by Health Secretary Neil O’Brien today.”