Council tenants living in Cramlington and Blyth have taken advantage of a government scheme which is encouraging smokers to swap cigarettes for vapes. 
 

As part of the pilot scheme, free vape starter kits were offered to council tenants in the towns to help them kick the costly and dangerous habit. 

They were invited to sign up to the six-week programme of support and were offered a choice of products, strengths and flavours to allow smokers to find the best product for them. 
 

The swap to stop scheme is part of a government pilot to help people to quit. It is working with councils and others to offer a million smokers across England a free vaping starter kit -the first initiative of its kind in the world. The scheme is part of a series of new measures to help the government meet its ambition of being smokefree by 2030 - reducing smoking rates to 5% or less.   
 

Up to 2 out of 3 lifelong smokers will die from smoking. The costs of smoking to the smokers, their families, the National Health Service and to society is devastating.  
 

Councillor Veronica Jones, cabinet member for Improving Public Health and Wellbeing said: 

“Smoking is an addiction which becomes a real challenge to quit, often taking several attempts. 

 

“Research shows that vaping is an effective way of quitting smoking for good. Although vaping is not risk free, it is a fraction of the risk of smoking and is proven to be popular and effective way to help smokers end their habit.” 
 

Evaluation of the pilot will be carried out to inform stop smoking support that will be provided in the future.  
 

The county council also runs a free specialist stop smoking service offering personalised support to help you to quit.  

For information and support call 01670 813135 or email stopsmokingservice@northumberland.gov.uk