Electronic cigarettes are currently the most widely used method of quitting, it is official. Additionally, astounding quit rates are attained when using electronic cigarettes in conjunction with guidance and help from stop smoking organizations.The best method for quitting smoking is sadly not used nearly enough. Only 4% of smokers accessing help to quit in 2016–17 also used electronic cigarettes.This might be about to alter. Public Health is encouraging cessation centers to provide vaping products, and we are now seeing more requests from cessation centers, local housing authorities, mental health organizations, and other groups wishing to provide electronic cigarettes to its customers.How may electronic cigarettes be used by stop smoking services? What challenges must they face, and how can they be confident they are utilizing them correctly? We've combined our 10 years in the vaping business with Julia Robson of Quit4Life, the Hampshire Stop Smoking Service, and Louise Ross, who spoke on behalf of the Leicester Stop Smoking Service, to learn the answer.See our post E-Cigarettes and Stop Smoking Services: Notes From the Front Line if you're interested in learning more about the difficulties Stop Smoking Services encounter.

Why do you provide electronic cigarettes as part of your stop smoking program?

The most common method of quitting smoking now is vaping, and when we examined current statistics on youth smoking, we discovered that 39% of former smokers had used electronic cigarettes, as opposed to 1% who had used quit smoking programs. Adults also have a decent success rate, with vaping being almost twice as effective as nicotine gum.

However, success rates can increase dramatically when stop smoking services combine their expertise with the popularity of vaping. In fact, according to Public Health, more people who use vaping continue to be smoke-free and about two-thirds of those who use vaping in conjunction with behavioral assistance from SSS are able to successfully stop.A major argument made by Leicester SSS was that vaping gave smokers who had tried and failed to stop using traditional techniques another chance. Additionally, they discovered that adding vaping as a weapon to their armory increased interest in their service and helped it remain current. Last but not least, Julia added that e-cigarettes have a compelling business justification.They are more affordable to buy than NRT and Champix, so when local governments are searching for ways to save costs, it was a no-brainer for my business to buy them and give them to service users.

overcoming the vaping resistance

Sadly, despite Public Health backing, proponents eager to make e-cigarettes available still encounter strong opposition. For instance, Help Me Quit Wales and other anti-vaping organizations are vehemently opposed to electronic cigarettes in Wales. In other services, a strong reaction has been stoked by the onslaught of anti-vaping news coming. the.In order to overcome opposition, Julia Robson of the Hampshire Stop Smoking Services created a presentation that included both the business case for vaping and the scientific support for it. Prior to launching on a bigger scale, Leicester SSS conducted a small-scale study as well, which allowed them to establish the viability of vaping.

What must you complete before beginning?

In particular, Leicester and Hampshire SSS emphasized: acquire the support of the directors and advisors of public health seek representation GPs make sure all items comply with the TPD and that any vendor you work with is not connected to big tobacco complete the online NCSCT training utilize a procurement procedure and perform your research! TPD compliance entails making sure that any items you use adhere to standards, which requires that they have undergone emissions testing and been reported to the MHRA. One thing to keep in mind is that while shortfills are primarily made to go around laws, it is likely that this also means avoiding them (bigger bottles of e-liquid used with nicotine shots).

It's a smart idea to heed Leicester's advice and refrain from utilizing a major cigarette subsidiary from a PR standpoint. One stop smoking business that partnered with a major cigarette firm to offer their services had an incredible PR nightmare.Additional places to look at are:Ensure that those with mental health difficulties can access the service. Your suppliers' capacity to swap out items or flavors that are not popular; their ability to produce the quantity and delivery times you require; and their product liability insurance

What e-cigarettes should I supply?

Simplicity is essential for vaping success in its early stages. We advise choosing a device with simple controls that is also simple to fill out and utilize. The majority of smokers and novice vapers will choose a device with a more restricted, constrictive pull, and for that they need a low powered device paired with an e-liquid with a VG:PG ratio somewhere around 50:50.

Choice

The variety of options that vaping provides is one reason why it has been so effective for so many smokers. There are many different devices and flavors available, and one of them is sure to be a favorite of your users.However, if you provide too many options, you won't have the same economies of scale and are more likely to have dead stock.The paradox of choice also warns us that when faced with too many options, people may become paralyzed and find it difficult to choose. So it's crucial to strike a balance between the demand for variety and simplicity.We do suggest ordering hardware in a limited palette of colors. Even while it might seem like a trivial consideration, for some people it can be significant. It's crucial to offer a variety of flavors and nicotine strengths since different strengths and flavors are effective for different people. Additionally, our personal experience suggests that removing tobacco flavors makes it less likely for people to start smoking again.Additionally, we've discovered that giving customers discount tickets to use with your supplier is effective because those who successfully convert may then select their own flavors and e-liquids, which lowers the cost of stop smoking services.

Running an e-cigarette scam

When it comes to distributing electronic cigarettes, you have a variety of options. These include giving consumers a device for free, charging a lower price (which can boost commitment), or employing a voucher system. Because they want things to be as straightforward as possible, Leicester and Hampshire both choose for the direct model. Louise Ross said: "We buy direct, supply a starter pack (device and liquid), and encourage the person to visit nearby vape shops to pick the appropriate one for them. Since they had already saved the money they would have spent on cigarettes, everyone has been content to purchase their own supply going forward. In my perspective, vouchers are a hassle and require more work than is necessary. Others may differ.

Additional recommendations for cessation services

Louise developed the following criteria for other services once Leicester provided us with further experience-based lessons.Obtain a lot of customer feedback and distribute it to the staff.Solve issues collectively.Speak to seasoned vapers to gain knowledge that will benefit beginners. Written instructions quickly become outdated.To ensure that your efforts are being supported and that your doctors, practice nurses, midwives, dentists, and hospital healthcare professionals are saying the correct things, communicate with them.Gather success tales, then post them on social media.Final thoughts I can think of no better way to conclude this piece than with Louise's last remarks:

All of the counselors had inspiring personal success tales to share, especially those of folks who had long since "given up giving up" but discovered that vaping had a profound impact on their lives. I'd like to end on a warning, though: don't rush someone off using. "We all see people who return to the service repeatedly, and frequently these people have returned to smoking because they still required their nicotine, especially when life gets difficult. Even years of vaping will probably avoid relapse and won't likely cause any harm. People who say they wish to stop using their frequently do so as a result of pressure from their family or doctor, who believe they should completely give up nicotine as soon as possible. Avoid advancing this cause. They're doing OK as long as they don't smoke.