Nurse Praises ‘Switch to Quit’

Michael Hughes, 58, from Ashton-under-Lyne in Tameside, started smoking when he was just eight years old. He smoked for almost fifty years until a lung scan revealed he had Emphysema, a form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) caused by permanent damage to the lungs. 

He said: “I had tried to stop smoking several times before, but this time I was determined to quit. I got support through the NHS Stop Smoking helpline and I was given an inhalator and patches. I found the inhalator really good, but I did find stopping smoking tricky at first and I kept having the odd cigarette.

“Then someone recommended I try switching to a vape and by January 2023 I had stopped smoking altogether. I found switching to a vape really easy, and I’ve now been smokefree for over a year. I’ll always be short of breath, but I’ve noticed other benefits since quitting smoking, such as my skin is better, my teeth and gums are healthier, and I feel better in myself.”

Paul, an NHS research nurse from Yorkshire started smoking at 17. He tried to quit before but had gone back to smoking and then accessed support from City of York Health Trainers based in the local hospital: “I was offered a free vape to help me quit and was surprised when I learned how effective they are as a quit tool. The vape massively helped with the transition to becoming smoke free.

“I worked with my stop smoking advisor and adapted my old routines and habits. Initially I convinced myself that the vape was just a different form of cigarette – this thought process really helped in the early days. I was reassured that vapes are 95% less harmful than smoking cigarettes.

“Two years on and I feel amazing; breathing, moving, and smelling much better! I believe the vape was instrumental to my success - I still use the free vape the service gave me, and at times it has really been my friend, and I am proud to say I’ve never touched tobacco again.”

Dr Katherine East, King’s College London commented: “The 2024 ASH data show vaping among adults has increased in the past year and the main reasons for vaping are to quit, reduce, or remain abstinent from smoking. The majority of adults who have quit smoking in Great Britain used a vape in their last quit attempt. Quitting smoking is one of the best things a person who smokes can do for their health, and the latest ASH data show the importance that vapes can have on this journey.”

ASH says its survey found a growing group of ex-smokers vaping longer term with half vaping for more than 3 years. 

Since 2021, it says there has also been an increase in the numbers of never smokers vaping - with an estimated 8% of vapers reporting they have never smoked.

While for some of these long-term ex-smokers and never smokers vaping may be helping them to avoid going back or starting to smoke, the charity also says “we should not be complacent about this use.”

ASH’s Hazel Cheeseman commented: “Long term vaping among people who would otherwise not be smoking should be avoided on a precautionary basis. So, as we develop our regulatory approach this group must not be forgotten. We would much rather see people stopping using any form of nicotine long term.”

Why?

Planet of the Vapes has asked Hazel Cheeseman via Twitter/X what she and the charity has against nicotine use (given that it is not carcinogenic and offers all the risk profile of caffeine). Hazel Cheeseman did not respond.

Dave Cross

Journalist at POTV

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Dave 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.