The return of Stoptober in the United Kingdom
A new edition of Stoptober, the English version of France’s “month without tobacco,” began on October 1. The goal of Stoptober is to give smokers who want to quit smoking the best chance at succeeding. A study recently revealed that receiving help when quitting smoking multiplies the chances of succeeding by 500%.
According to the Independent British Vape Trade Association, the Stoptober program has been a major success, helping over one million people quit smoking since its creation in 2012.
This year, an additional service has been put in place. It is called the “Personal Quit Plan” and it provides smokers with an online questionnaire. The responses help determine the best-personalized approach for each person, and it also comes with a list of recommended apps. A combination of smoking cessation strategies are then proposed, taking into account the individual’s nicotine dependence and previous attempts at quitting tobacco. This year’s Stoptober will also focus on individual strategies, including the use of nicotine substitutes and e-cigarettes.
The electronic cigarette: one of the most popular methods to quit smoking
In a recent announcement, the British health minister said, “one person quits smoking every 80 seconds in England.” He specified that in 2017 and 2018, 51% of smokers received assistance to help quit smoking. This number went up to 63% when smokers turned to the electronic cigarette. Consequently, almost 400,000 people quit smoking just last year.
According to Public Health England, the electronic cigarette is the most successful nicotine substitute in the United Kingdom. There are approximately 3.2 million regular e-cigarette users in the country, in addition to 900,000 people who were able to quit both cigarettes and vaping.
