The World’s First Government Led! The UK Regional Government Has Allocated £ 2.2 Million To Distribute Free E-Cigarettes

According to Coventrytelegraph, nearly half of smokers in the Bristol area of the UK will receive free e-cigarette initial kits on the National Health Service (NHS) as part of a “world first” initiative to help people quit smoking.
The local health department has successfully applied to the government for £ 2.2 million to cover the cost of 60000 sets of equipment.
The Integrated Care Partnership (ICP) Committee of Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) has heard that the purpose of this program is to help smokers switch from cigarettes to electronic cigarettes that are considered safer.
At the BNSSG board meeting on November 29th, BNSSG set a goal to become a “smoke-free area” by 2031- defined as a smoking rate of less than 5% among the adult population. It is estimated that there are approximately 144320 users in the region, of which 60% are located in the city. To achieve the goal of “smoke-free areas”, approximately 24000 smokers are required to quit smoking every year.
The government announced a groundbreaking free e-cigarette program called “Swap to Stop” in April, and the ICP bid has just been approved.
Public health consultant Samuel Hayward told board members that due to historical legacy issues in the industry, Bristol has the highest smoking rate in the Southwest region.
He said, “The evidence clearly shows that nic- e-cigarettes are a much lower risk option for smokers, and in the short and medium term, their risk is only a small part of smoking. e-cigarettes should be offered as a substitute for smoking, but should not attract a wider range of non-smokers. e-cigarettes are not suitable for children – we need to reduce the use of e-cigarettes and the number of young people exposed to e-cigarette products.”
Public Health Director Matt Lenny said, “This is a significant opportunity for us. We warmly welcome policy changes and investments in services.”