I STARTED AS A WAY TO
ALLEVIATE THE STRESS OF
WORK. I TRIED TO QUIT A
FEW TIMES AND MANAGED
TO GO SMOKE-FREE FOR
THREE MONTHS. BUT I WAS
EVIL WITHOUT NICOTINE!
THEN MY PARTNER GAVE
UP TOBACCO AND STARTED
VAPING. I DECIDED TO GIVE
IT A TRY AND HAVEN’T
LOOKED BACK SINCE.
A video shared by Public Health England revealed that 58% of smokers
attempted to quit cold-turkey, which is the least successful method.
Instead, PHE recommends using e-cigarettes or traditional nicotine-
replacement therapy such as patches and gum. The combination
of smoking cessation aids and support from vape shops and stop-
smoking services makes a successful quit attempt four times more
likely.
As well as educating smokers on the resources available to them,
some organisations used the opportunity to raise awareness of the
wider harms associated with cigarette use. London Fire Brigade
urged people to stop smoking and switch to vaping as figures revealed
that 5,978 fires in London in the last five years were linked to smoking.
E-cigarette-related fires are incredibly rare and easily avoidable.
Dan Daly, assistant commissioner for fire safety at London Fire
Brigade, said, “So many of these deaths and injuries could have
been prevented either by stopping smoking or by switching to
vaping. We would rather people didn’t smoke at all but if they do,
vaping is a safer option. There is a common misconception that
vapes are a fire risk, but the reality is they have caused a very
small number of fires – normally because the device is broken or
it’s being charged by a faulty charger. Smoking on the other hand
is a killer.”
A lot has changed since the inaugural No Smoking Day 34 years
ago, but cigarettes continue to account for around 96,000 deaths
each year. Thanks to the likes of No Smoking Day, Stoptober and
the thriving vaping industry, the scourge of smoking may soon be
consigned to the past.
VM16 | 19