Stoptober is here again, and if you’re familiar with the month-long event, you may have noticed something different about it this time. While Stoptober has been going since 2012, this is the first year in which e-cigarettes have been recommended to help smokers quit.
The annual event began on 1st October and will run for a four-week period. Research has indicated that someone who manages to quit for 28 days is five times more likely to quit permanently. That’s according to Public Health England, who have spoken out in favour of electronic cigarettes before in their drive to get more people to quit smoking.
Last year, around 53% of those who took part in the Stoptober event did so by using vaping devices to help them stop. It also led to an increase in the number of people who took up the challenge to stop smoking for 28 days, with more than 1.5 million doing so.
Further research also reveals more people have successfully quit smoking than ever before. Around 20% of attempts to quit met with success in the first half of this year. This compared with an average figure of 16% that was seen through the previous decade.
The number of smokers in the UK is dropping, and the introduction of vaping and Stoptober can only support that. Back in 2000, 26.8% of adults in England aged 18 and over smoked. Fast-forward to 2016, and that percentage had dropped to 15.5%. We doubt all of that is down to vaping and e-cigs, but it must surely be a contributory factor.
Other research has also revealed people who vape are more likely to keep on trying to quit smoking than those who use methods other than vaping. E-cigs also seem to ensure the smoker has a greater chance of success in their efforts, whether they try one or more times.
Many vapers will be glad to see support for electronic cigarettes as part of Stoptober. With some sources still trying to demonise vaping, it is reassuring to see support for it from some important quarters.
Are you taking part in Stoptober this year? Have you switched to vaping to help you quit smoking? Are you glad to see electronic cigarettes being recommended to those who are taking part? Let us know what you think below, and good luck in quitting smoking too!
