Andrew Burney
17 Jun 2024
During the last few years, e-cigarettes have been a great help in helping people to stop smoking and according to the NHS website, a 2021 review found that people using e-cigarettes as well as having expert face-to face support can be up to twice as likely to succeed as people using nicotine replacement products.
During the last few years, e-cigarettes have been a great help in helping people to stop smoking and according to the NHS website, a 2021 review found that people using e-cigarettes as well as having expert face-to face support can be up to twice as likely to succeed as people using nicotine replacement products.
There is a flip side to this however, as it has been reported that vaping is also becoming a significant public health concern, despite being marketed as a safer alternative for smoking, it poses its own health risks such as addiction and respiratory issues.
Vapes involve inhaling a vapour produced by an electronic cigarette or similar. The vapour contains high levels of nicotine, flavourings and other chemicals which irritates and damages the lungs, causes heart problems and impacts on brain development of younger people.
The latest findings from the Action on Smoking and Health (ASH’s) survey reported that 11% of British adults vape, up from 9% in 2023 and 17% of young people having tried vaping, however the proportion of 11-17 year olds vaping has increased from pre-pandemic levels. To tackle this situation, the government proposed the Tobacco and Vapes Bill announced in the kings speech on 7th November 2023, which introduced a number of measures to tackle youth vaping.
Hazel Cheeseman, Deputy Chief Executive of Action on Smoking and Health, said:
“The Tobacco and Vapes Bill includes the powers needed to bring youth vaping down and must be enacted swiftly. However, getting adults to quit smoking is important for children’s health too. The evidence has grown that vaping is less harmful than smoking, but public understanding has gone in the other direction.
“It is to be hoped that 2024 can be a turning point and youth vaping will fall, alongside an improvement in public understanding about the role vaping can play in helping the UK’s 6 million smokers stop.”
Unfortunately this did not get through parliament before it was dissolved for the July election, however it is hoped there will be a resolution when the new government is in place.
It’s positive that the government wants to move towards smokefree by 2030 and as a contribution to this, hypnotherapy will have an important part to play in ensuring the target is met. Hypnotherapy can help people of all ages to break the habit by putting them into a state of relaxation, accessing their subconscious mind to change thoughts and behaviours.
A study published in the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis found that hypnotherapy was more effective than nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation, often chosen because it is a drug free option.