Free E-cigarette Starter Kits and Stop-smoking Support

Hertfordshire County Council has launched a pilot scheme in partnership with local vape shops in Borehamwood, Hemel Hempstead, Hitchin, Letchworth, St Albans and Watford to help people switch from cigarettes to vaping as part of their quit smoking journey.

Evidence shows that people are three times more likely to quit successfully with support, so the scheme offers smokers aged 18+ twelve weeks of behavioural support from trained advisers and a FREE starter vape kit which includes a vape pen, atomiser and vape liquid.

Hertfordshire County Council’s Executive Member for Public Health, Councillor Morris Bright MBE, said: ‘This scheme comes at a time when there is a national spotlight on vaping.

‘We are fully supportive of recent government announcements to tackle the rise in youth vaping, and we are carrying out our own consultation with local young people to gain insight that will help us put measures in place to address this in Hertfordshire.

‘We also endorse the recent decision by the government to ban disposable vapes and the shops will not be issuing disposable vapes to those people participating in the scheme.

‘However, we also recognise the value and importance of electronic cigarettes in helping people give up smoking.

‘E-cigarettes are estimated to be up to 95% safer than smoking tobacco and one of the most effective tools for quitting. 22 people have already signed up to the scheme, so I am confident that this additional offer to our residents will help them to improve their health and wellbeing.’

Graham Sutherland, director of one of the participating vape shops, said: ‘Our shops offer a friendly, relaxed, non-clinical and non-judgemental environment, with professionals who have an in-depth working knowledge of devices, products and the regulations around vaping as a safer alternative.

‘We have all been on this journey and everyone is different. We understand that it not always easy, but we will always endeavour to guide you through to reach your goal.’

Based on 2022 figures from Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) it is estimated that smoking costs Hertfordshire £303.51m per year¹ in health and social care, littering and productivity costs.

In 2022, 11.6% of Hertfordshire residents were smokers (approximately 108,000 people).

Each year, smoking is responsible for around 64,000 deaths in the UK. One in every four cancer-related deaths is attributed to smoking, and it is the cause of many health conditions and illnesses, including stillbirths, lung disease, heart disease, stroke and dementia.

To find out more about the vape shop project, visit: www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/VapeShopProject

Anyone who lives or works in Hertfordshire can get free stop smoking support through Hertfordshire County Council’s stop smoking service. To contact the service visit www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/stopsmoking,  call 0800 389 3998 or text SMOKEFREE to 80818.

¹ Action on Smoking and Health, ASH Local Toolkit | ASH Ready Reckoner 2022. 14 January 2022