​Hampshire NHS Stop Smoking Scheme Offers Vaping Vouchers

Giving up smoking can be difficult however if you’re living in Hampshire, particularly in the Havant, Fareham and Gosport areas it could be about to get much easier. Quit4Life, the NHS cessation service in the area are now offering those wanting to quit smoking a £25 voucher so that they may buy an e cigarette starter kit in order to help them quit tobacco smoking for good.

Needless to say, the vaping community as well as charities, health services and professionals who have all been concerned with the damaging effects of smoking and have actively advocated for the use of e cigarettes to help people quit, are delighted. There are some restrictions on how these vouchers may be spent, for example, only in certain local vaping stores and similar, however after that those who have switched from smoking to vaping may choose to buy their e liquids and any future vaping purchases wherever they want.

This is an unprecedented move in the area and one which many believe will go a long way towards meeting smoking cessation targets. The health implications of smoking have been well documented over the years. Even passive smoking has been proven to be just as harmful to non-smokers as to smokers themselves. Despite overwhelming evidence which shows that smoking may cause cancers and put people at a much higher risk of heart disease, lung/chest issues, stroke and more, people still continue to smoke. Why? The reason so many continue to smoke is because giving up smoking is hard. Asides from this, some people just don’t want to quit. They understand the implications of smoking and yet enjoy the habit so much or have smoked over such a long period of time that the idea of giving it up is unwelcome.

This is where vaping comes into force. With vaping you are not going cold turkey. You still have nicotine going into your system (although with vaping you may choose how much nicotine is in your e liquids and therefore step down or eliminate nicotine usage over time if wished), you still have the hand to mouth action, you take a draw instead of a drag, have something which helps you relax/unwind, may enjoy the social aspect of vaping as you once enjoyed with smoking and more. The difference being that vaping does not carry the health risks that smoking does and is being described as being 95%-99% healthier. As an aside it is certainly cheaper in the long run than tobacco cigarettes.

Using the Quit4Life vouchers enables a smoker to switch from a harmful habit to a cleaner, healthier hobby and one which health professionals are saying makes a big impact on reducing the risks previously present during smoking. Going into a local vaping shop to use the voucher means that smokers have someone familiar with the scheme to help them explain vaping face to face and to recommend a starter kit that works for them. On top of this they will be able to show those looking to switch over how to set their e cigarette up if necessary and answer any vaping-related questions. Having someone on hand to explain how vaping works will make a big difference to those who have had nothing to do with it before and yet want to try the smoking alternative that everyone is talking about.

The Hampshire Quit4Life offer these vouchers to people who are ready to quit smoking via their cessation clinics and also offer a number of other options to help and support individuals through their quitting smoking journey.

Here at GoSmokeFree we find believe that this is a fantastic opportunity for smokers to learn about and experience vaping, moving away from smoking which undoubtedly damages their health. Keen to support Public Health England’s stance which advocates for vaping as a valid and useful alternative to smoking, Hampshire’s Quit4Life scheme could make a vast amount of difference to many people. We look forward to seeing this scheme adopted in other areas around the UK very soon. We’re sure that it will have a significant effect on smoking numbers and in our eyes, every time someone quits smoking for good something brilliant has occurred!