Britain is giving away e-cigarettes to a million smokers

The British government wants to give one million smokers in England free e-cigarettes to encourage them to stop smoking. The goal is to make the country smoke-free by 2030.

This was announced by the Department of Health in London on Tuesday. The government defines “smoke-free” as a smoking rate of less than five percent.

The “Swap-to-Stop” program should be accompanied by other measures – such as financial incentives for pregnant women to go low-key. According to the information, currently almost every tenth woman in England smokes cigarettes during pregnancy. The government estimates a cost of £45 million (51 million Swiss francs) over two years.

Whoever gets the free vape wants to put Westminster in the hands of the councils. These can supplement the program with local measures.

‘Up to two out of three people who smoke all their lives die from it’, Health Secretary Neil O’Brien is quoted as saying in a statement from the ministry. “Cigarettes are the only over-the-counter product that will kill you, even if you use it properly,” O’Brien said. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable diseases. Statistics show that one in four cancer deaths is due to smoking.

Smokers should be informed about the dangers of smoking through personal advice and information in the packaging. Stricter action must also be taken against the illegal sale of tobacco and e-cigarettes.

Anti-tobacco organizations consider the package of measures insufficient. Without greater efforts, the goal of being smoke-free by 2030 will not be achieved.

Switching to e-cigarettes is also controversial. The vapor from e-cigarettes also has addictive potential, critics note. In Britain, about nine per cent of schoolchildren between the ages of 11 and 15 already smoke vape cigarettes. (saw/sda/dpa)