Since 2023, as part of a public health program, the UK government has launched an unprecedented initiative called "Swap to Stop", aimed at encouraging one million smokers to switch to e-cigarettes.
Launched by the UK Department of Health, "Swap to Stop" is a national initiative aimed at reducing smoking by encouraging smokers to switch to vape as a less harmful alternative. The program is part of the government's ambitious target of1 to reduce smoking prevalence in England to less than 5% by 2030.
Main objectives
Help all smokers quit: provide one million free vaping starter kits, accompanied by behavioral support.
Work specifically with pregnant women: include specific financial incentives for pregnant women to encourage them to quit smoking, with vouchers of up to £400.2.
How it works
All smokers wishing to quit receive a free vape kit, containing an electronic cigarette and e-liquids. Personalized support is then offered via local health professionals or stop-smoking services. The initiative is based on studies showing that vaping is 95% less harmful than smoking, according to a report by Public Health England.3.
Scope and impact
Approximately 1 in 5 smokers in England would benefit from this program, a world first on this scale.4.
Pilot projects
Local organizations have set up pilot projects, with strong positive feedback on the effectiveness of vape as a smoking cessation aid.
Salford (2018): in 2018, according to a study reported by Community Pharmacy England, a pilot scheme distributing free vaping kits in Salford recorded a success rate of over 60% after four weeks of vaping. This success has inspired the nationwide roll-out of the "Swap to stop" program.
Bath and North East Somerset (BaNES): in this area, an operation called "Never Give Up Giving Up" has been launched by the local "Swap to Stop" service, which offers free kits and telephone follow-up to assess vapers' progress, run by HCRG Care Services. Local professionals use the support of " Very Brief Advice on Smoking " to maximize the impact of their actions.
Manchester: similar initiatives have targeted inpatient smokers, specifically integrating vape into mental health services in Manchester. The UK government has made £1 million available for e-cigarettes, with the aim of reducing smoking among this particularly hard-hit population.
Context
In the UK, the strategy of promoting vaping among smokers is accompanied by awareness-raising campaigns such as Stoptober, giving it a leading position in the fight against smoking in Europe through these innovative approaches.
Similar initiatives elsewhere in the world
New Zealand
New Zealand has been promoting vaping as a cessation tool since 2019. As part of the Smokefree 2025 plan, the Ministry of Health(Health NZ) funds starter kits for smokers, particularly in the Māori and Pasifika communities, and accompanies the process with behavioral support. A national campaign, "Quit Strong", broadcasts TV spots and refers smokers to a site dedicated to smoking cessation, where vape is offered as a tool to help them stop.
Canada
Some provinces, like British Columbia, have integrated vaping into their anti-smoking strategy, offering resources through local clinics.
France
In France, there is no national program equivalent to "Swap to Stop", but some particularly active private initiatives have emerged. For example, the association La Vape du Cœur, created in 2015, collects donations of vaping equipment from individuals and professionals, in order to redistribute them free of charge to smokers in financial difficulty wishing to quit. Based on voluntary work, its members train healthcare staff so they can guide their patients on the first uses of vaping. La Vape du Cœur, which also works in prisons, has helped thousands of smokers to quit, providing support to tobaccologists and local health structures. Other ad hoc actions are carried out in France, such as direct distribution by stores or by addiction associations involved in harm reduction, but these remain informal and are not supported by the State.
To remember:
"Swap to Stop" is a proactive and pragmatic government operation based on risk reduction, which relies on vaping to transform smokers' habits. Backed by structured support and targeted incentives, it is an initiative to be followed for its global impact on reducing smoking, unrivalled anywhere in the world. It is echoed in countries such as New Zealand, which is sensitive to a progressive vision of smoking cessation. In France, only private and associative initiatives are being carried out, the most significant being by La Vape du Cœur.
- Smokers urged to swap cigarettes for vapes in world first scheme - https://www.gov.uk/government/news/smokers-urged-to-swap-cigarettes-for-vapes-in-world-first-scheme ︎
- Vaping: Free e-cigarettes to be handed out in anti-smoking drive - https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-65235343 ︎
- Vaping in England: evidence update February 2021 - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vaping-in-england-evidence-update-february-2021 ︎
- The Khan review: making smoking obsolete - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-khan-review-making-smoking-obsolete ︎