The British Psychological Society has joined the growing number of British organisations that have decided to support the use of electronic cigarettes. A new report from the BPS, called Changing Behaviour: Electronic Cigarettes, points out 96,000 people in the UK die every year from a smoking-related illness. They also highlight the drop in smokers that has been achieved. However, “success rates… remain very low.”
Authors Hayden McRobbie and Lynne Dawkins are both keen to highlight the “potential” of electronic cigarettes to help people quit – and to do so successfully. We’ve seen other statistics that bear out the fact that vaping is most likely to result in successfully quitting smoking, and is far more successful a method than any other nicotine replacement therapies that could be used.
They also highlight the Stop Smoking Services provided by the NHS at present, and suggest that electronic cigarettes should be incorporated into this. In doing so, a greater success rate could be attained. They go as far as to say e-cigs could be provided as a part of the service, along with support in using them.
The report also goes into the need for investment in further research on the topic, not to mention the idea that smoking should become more expensive, and vaping should be cheaper. That is an interesting and valid idea we haven’t heard elsewhere, so it makes refreshing reading.
Since the report comes from the British Psychological Society, we would expect it to cover this aspect of vaping too. They say the easier something is, the easier it is to make a positive habit change. Therefore, the easier it is to vape without running into problems, the more likely it is the person will quit smoking for good. And that is great news, don’t you think?
