“We will provide one million smokers with new help to quit smoking. We will fund a new national ‘switch to quit’ program – the first of its kind in the world.” The statement is from Neil O’Brien, the UK’s health minister, on the project to distribute one million packs of electronic cigarettes to UK smokers as an incentive to quit smoking.
The UK government’s aim is to reduce smoking and, with it, the number of diseases linked to tobacco use, thereby easing the burden on the National Health Service (NHS).
This groundbreaking project, presented on Tuesday, is part of Rishi Sunak’s executive’s commitment to achieving the goal of a tobacco-free country by 2030, by reducing the number of smokers in England to 5%, “or less”. the government said.
Nearly one in five smokers in England get an e-cigarette starter pack. In addition, smokers covered by this measure will be monitored by health professionals.
Local authorities will be invited later this year to participate in the first phase of the program, which will include regions adhering to the free electronic cigarette policy, before expanding to the national level over the next two years, according to the government statement.
It is estimated that this plan will cost around 45 million pounds (about 45 million euros), an amount that will be administered by the local authorities.
Government policy is focused on “helping people quit smoking” rather than imposing a ban, said O’Brien, quoted by the public station.
“Up to two in three long-term smokers die from smoking. Cigarettes are the only product on the market that will kill you if used properly,” the official said.
The UK Department of Health emphasizes that “for those who stop smoking, the risk of a heart attack is reduced by half a year after quitting smoking, ultimately cutting the chance of ending up in a hospital bed or worse by half” .
Pregnant women are also involved in this project: they receive financial incentives to stop smoking. The measure includes the provision of vouchers and pregnant women who smoke will also be accompanied by health professionals.
According to the BBC, pregnant women receive financial aid of up to £400 to help them quit smoking.
With this measure, the cabinet hopes to reduce the number of pregnant women who smoke and “reduce the number of babies born with low birth weight, underdeveloped babies with health problems who need continuous neonatal care”. Supporting women to have smoke-free pregnancies “also reduces the risk of miscarriage or stillbirth.”
According to data from the NHS, the number of smokers in England will be 13% in 2021, the lowest on record. However, on average 5.4 million people smoke tobacco in England, making it the leading preventable cause of death and disease.
Between 2021 and 2022, the British government decided to spend £68 million on public health measures against smoking. Nearly 100,000 people have given up smoking during this period, the government says.
The Sunak executive’s note notes that the government has made a further £35 million (approximately €40 million) available this year so that all smokers admitted to hospital can access treatment to stop smoking .
According to the BBC, while the government is encouraging the use of electronic cigarettes for adult smokers to quit smoking, the plan also aims to curb the illicit sale of electronic cigarettes to minors under the age of 18.
In Portugal, according to the latest National Health Survey in 2019, 16.8% of the population aged 15 years or older living in the country were smokers, of which 14% were daily smokers.
Source: DN
