VPZ’s Quit Coach
VPZ, the UK’s largest vaping retailer with over 150 stores, is launching a mobile vape clinic to hit the road throughout the UK to help more people quit smoking
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by Dave Cross
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VPZ has launched its mobile vape clinic as it calls on the UK Government to ban smoking and develop a progressive strategy for vaping.
The successful vape clinic service will now go on tour throughout its 150-store retail footprint as part of its plans to help even more people quit smoking.
The vape clinic provides a dedicated one-to-one service to help smokers quit. VPZ specialists are trained and have expert knowledge, engaging with smokers to educate them on the health and financial benefits of switching to vaping.
The mobile vape clinic roll-out comes as VPZ launches a petition with the UK Government calling for a plan and strategy to ban smoking and a progressive strategy for vaping that it says will be fundamental in meeting the 2030 Smoke Free ambition. The vaping specialist has also launched a petition with the Scottish Government calling for the same action.
Alarmingly smoking rates continue to rise following the Pandemic and cuts to NHS stop smoking services and local support groups is making the public health problem even worse.
Recent analysis shows that smoking kills up to two thirds of long-term users and figures revealed by Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty reveal that smoking has killed more people than Covid during the past two years.
Now VPZ, the UK’s leading vaping retailer, is calling for a timeline towards an outright ban on smoking in a bid to transform the health of the nation.
The call comes following the launch of the government-commissioned review by Dr Javed Khan which outlines recommendations to make smoking obsolete and create a smoke-free generation. The report recommended vaping as-a-way to quit smoking and for consumers to receive accurate information on the benefits of switching.
Neil ‘Razor’ Ruddock is an ambassador for the campaign and smoked 20 cigarettes a day before quitting through vaping.
The former Spurs and Liverpool player spoke as VPZ launched its mobile vape clinic and national petition.
He said: “I started smoking when I appeared on I’m a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here and quickly became hooked.
“I personally know the damaging impact it can have on your health and after a number of attempts to stop smoking I eventually was able to quit through vaping, my wife and family are very happy about that.
“There are so many families up and down the country affected by smoking and the mobile vape clinic is a great opportunity for smokers to engage and learn more about the benefits of vaping.”
He added: “It’s alarming that smoking rates have gone up during Pandemic - it is having a huge impact on peoples’ health but also their finances at a time of rising inflation.
“If you have two smokers in a household that is £5000 a year, that’s massive and can help ease financial pressure or fund a memorable family holiday.
“What is clear is that we now need a plan towards banning smoking for good, as well as a strategy for vaping which has already helped over 3million people quit smoking.”
Researchers at King’s College London found vaping to be a more effective treatment than nicotine replacement therapy for stopping smoking.
A further report from the Royal College of Physicians Tobacco Advisory Group backs vaping as an effective treatment for tobacco dependency and recommends that it should be included and encouraged in all treatment pathways. The report also found that the long-term impact of vaping is 95 per cent less harmful than smoking cigarettes.
To date, Edinburgh-based VPZ has already helped over 700k smokers in the UK quit since it was established in 2012.
VPZ believes the UK Government needs to be progressive and show bravery to develop a timeline to ban smoking completely and meet our 2030 smoke free ambitions. The retailer insists that vaping is fundamental to meeting this target.
He said: “As the UK’s leading vaping specialist, we are spearheading the fight against the nation’s number one killer – smoking.
“The recent rise in smoking rates is public health tragedy and we are currently set to miss our Smoke Free ambitions by at least two decades.
“The review by Dr Javed Khan said that the government needs to be faster and bolder to truly achieve a smoke-free society and also highlighted the negative impact of smoking on the health and wealth of the nation.
“The launch of our mobile vape clinic service responds 100 per cent to this and is a further positive development in our ambitions to engage with more smokers throughout the country and help them take the first steps on their quit journey.
“Our petitions also call on the UK and Scottish Governments to show bravery and develop a timeline towards an outright ban on smoking. Vaping as highlighted in the commission by Dr Javed Khan will be fundamental to us working towards a complete ban on smoking and we are calling for a progressive plan for vaping that builds on the success of this transformative smoking cessation strategy.
“We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform the health of the nation and we strongly believe that there should be advertising to promote and educate on the public health benefits of vaping.
“We continue to reach out to health policy makers in the UK Government on this and welcome positive engagement and dialogue to help shape a strategy that will transform the health of the nation.”
References:
- The UK petition: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/611657
- The Scottish petition: https://petitions.parliament.scot/petitions/PE1932
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.
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