New figures from SmokeFree Hull show 24 per cent of people who successfully stopped smoking with them between April 2023 and March 2024 used a vape to help quit. The data demonstrates the difference seeking help can make when stopping smoking. People who use SmokeFree Hull, the city’s smoking support service, can get free vapes (for over-18s only), as well as one-to-one help and advice.
Hull still has one of the highest smoking rates in the country. One in five people – or 20.49 per cent – in the city smoke, compared with the national average of 12.9 per cent.
One SmokeFree Hull client who successfully quit said: “I sometimes feel the urge to smoke, but I promised my children and myself I wouldn’t, and I haven’t. I’ve got a vape as a substitute, but I don’t use it very often, I’m proud of what I’ve achieved through the service’s help and support”.
Another former smoker said: “I like using my vape, it’s helped me get off tobacco, and I’m breathing a lot easier now, and I don’t cough up as much phlegm. It’s so satisfying seeing the difference, and it’s improved and helped me cope with my COPD better”.
The council’s Portfolio Holder for Public Health said the data on vapes was encouraging and urged those considering quitting to ask for help.
Cllr Linda Chambers, Portfolio Holder for Public Health and Adult Social Care, said: “It’s extremely encouraging to see so many people are managing to stop smoking successfully using vapes. While the advice is that if you haven’t smoked, then you shouldn’t vape, they can be a fantastic tool for those who are looking to quit.
“While these figures are great news, our smoking rate in Hull remains stubbornly high. It’s important not to become complacent about just how dangerous smoking is. We may not see the high profile government warnings on tv ads as we did in the past, but the risks haven’t changed. Smoking significantly increases your risk of a number of health conditions, including lung cancer, heart disease and stroke.
“Quitting isn’t easy, but these figures really show that you don’t have to do it alone. The benefits of stopping are huge, for your health and the health of anyone in your home. The average smoker getting through 15 cigarettes a day also saves more than £70 a week when they quit”.
In addition to personal health risks, figures released earlier this year from Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) show smoking costs Hull £352 million a year. This is made up of healthcare costs, as well as social care, the impact of poor health on ability to work, and calculations based on money spent on smoking, rather than within the local economy.
The support offered by SmokeFree Hull is free, open to everyone and quick to access. It includes tobacco replacement products like vapes and gum, and one-to-one support however you want to receive it; in person or over the phone. People can refer themselves, or someone else. Visit: https://www.changegrowlive.org/smoke-free-hull, phone 01482 977617, or email: hullstopsmoking.info@cgl.org.uk
