Going smoke free has been the aim for most countries in their fight against the high number of smokers worldwide. With the government hoping to make the UK smoke-free by 2030, various legislations have been put in place to help ensure that this is possible. The market is also encouraging the switch to vaping as it continues to produce vaping products that are very enjoyable, healthier and cheaper. Vaping models alone are available in cigarlike, vape pens, and pod systems as well as mods – all of which are chosen according to what kind of smoker those who smoke are and personal preference.
GoSmokeFree.co.uk commissioned a poll of 800 Brits to find out if they think health authorities have done enough to encourage smokers to quit by converting to vaping. Just 1 in 4 (27%) believe the health authorities have done enough to encourage smokers to convert to less harmful vaping. Public healthorganisations and charities have run numerous anti-smoking campaigns to encourage people to quit, though respondents feel that not enough emphasis has been placed on the health benefits of vaping. Switching from cigarettes benefits their health, helps ease pressure on the NHS and even helps protect the environment, as millions will no longer have to be spent cleaning up cigarette butts that are scattered everywhere.
The study also found that 3 in 4 (71%) people said that if they had a loved one who smokes tobacco, they would try to encourage them to switch to less harmful vapes. It only makes sense that so many people are concerned about their loved ones, considering the negative effects surrounding health that cigarettes pose. Smoking tobacco increases the risk of lung cancer, cardiovascular disease and other respiratory issues; as well as poses a range of immediate side effects like rapid heartrate and shortness of breath.
A significant 1 in 3 (37%) agreed that vaping should be made available on the NHS. Thousands of Brits have already been able to stop smoking with the assistance of vaping devices. And when it comes to ways to quit, more than a third (37%) of respondents said they thought the best way to help give up cigarettes was nicotine replacement therapy, such as patches or gym. A quarter (25%) of people said they thought the best way to help people quit cigarettes was vaping and nearly a quarter (23%) also said they thought the best option was quitting cold turkey. Nearly 1 in 5 (15%) thought the best way to give up cigarettes was through the help of mindfulness or hypnotherapy methods.
There are plenty of negative health effects caused by smoking, however, when it comes to education about alcohol and smoking, only nearly half (43%) of respondents said they think young people get taught about the topic an adequate amount. This could explain why only 53% of respondents said they know how vaping works in terms of function and benefits – it may be that they simply haven’t learned about it enough at school.
It could be that smokers also overestimate the cost of vaping – in fact, the average respondent wrongly thought the cost of a device was 32 GP. Realistically, devices can cost as little as 5 GBP. In fact, this could be why the average person who was an ex-smoker but has since switched to vaping, said they’ve saved 108 GBP each month since they’ve given up their cigarette habit. In times where financial circumstances are challenging, it’s likely that people want to put any amount of savings away for a rainy day, such as a health emergency. It’s always good to have extra funds on hand as additional back-up, as many have witnessed over the course of the pandemic, where the economy was ever-changing due to financial circumstances across the globe.
