Vaping World News

What is the "Swap to Stop" Scheme?

Swap to Stop is an innovative scheme created by the UK Government to incentivise adult smokers to quit smoking traditional cigarettes by providing one million adult smokers with vaping devices.  

Vaping has become an increasingly popular activity in the UK over the past few years, and as such, there have been various laws put in place to regulate the industry. If you are a vaper or are considering taking up vaping, it is important to understand the current vape laws in the UK.

Here at the London Vape Company, we pay very close attention to what is happening around the globe in terms of e-cigarettes, and it has become impossible for us to not address the first vape-related death in the United States of America.

You've heard the debate, you've seen the years of conflicted e-cigarette media reports. And you've almost certainly talked with friends about the implications of vaping. But the facts are clear.

In a recent publication, Public Health England (PHE) has taken a close look into the industry, and sought to ensure that the public is not mislead by these often unfounded concerns.

If you were to walk into any e-cigarette store in the UK and ask the question ‘Is vaping safer than smoking’, every single one would tell you the same thing. Yes.

Continuing their overwhelming support for vaping as a means to combat UK cancer rates, Cancer Research UK has provided deeper insight into their stance on E-cigarettes.

The results are in, and you already know the answer. Yes, E-cigarettes are safer than smoking!

We need your help.

Vaping is an industry that has become more and more invisible to the public, thanks to increasing pressure from a host of outlets, restricting our ability to communicate with our customers.

It has recently been announced that both Instagram and Facebook will be hiding vaping related posts, and while this may not sound like much, it will have a significant impact on our business.

Cigarettes and lungs don’t exactly have the healthiest of relationships, and the same applies to the Tobacco industry and the British Lung Foundation.

When it comes to vaping, that relationship gets…complicated. Over the years both sides have been butting heads regarding legislation, research and much, much more.

But things are changing.

In 2017, the vaping industry faced its biggest challenge; The Tobacco Products Directive.

Restrictions to trade, packaging and products on the market proved to be a point of contention between vapers and the government, but UK vapers were quick to adjust to the new rules.

However, despite widespread compliance and the promise that no further changes would come into effect, it seems that TPD isn't done with us just yet.

In the last few years, vaping has gone from an underground, often overlooked activity, to the biggest competitor to the tobacco industry. Around the world, millions of people are trading smoking for vaping, and vaping is growing in strength each day.

The last few years have been eventful for vaping, with overwhelmingly positive clinical studies, research data and new trading standards that make vaping safer for everyone.

Despite the fact that vaping is still unrecognised as a smoking cessation tool in the US, it seems that the public's actions drastically  contradict political opinion.

The Department of Family Medicine and Public Health of the University of California and the National Cancer Institute recently announced the results of a domestic study of US smokers, with the aim to better understand what effect e-cigarettes are having on cessation rates.

Vaping once again finds solid grounds with the medical bodies of the world, as Public Health England announces that the UK is now seeing the least amount of people smoking in years. And they believe that vaping is key, so why is the vaping industry treated so poorly in world politics?

We all know how hard it can be to give up smoking. In the last few years the alternatives have been unattractive or ineffective for many looking to quit. But thanks to new advances in technology the answer has arrived.

Vaping has been around longer than you may think. The birth of the modern day electronic cigarette can be traced back to 1963, but has only recently received the attention it deserves. Vaping was reintroduced to the market in 2004 and with it their popularity has drastically increased. There are around 2.1 million vapers currently in the UK with no signs of this growth slowing down. Vaping is currently the most popular form of quitting aid in the UK. And the reason why is quite simple; it works.  

The technology behind a simple vape pen requires only a small series of parts such as a battery and an atomizer which are used to heat up a liquid containing nicotine. This liquid, when heated, becomes water vapour that provides the same sensation or 'throat hit' and flavour that a cigarette would. Unlike traditional tobacco based products, e-cigarettes do not contain numerous harmful chemicals that can lead to heart disease, lung cancer and strokes. Furthermore, a recent study by the NHS proved that vaping is in fact 95% less harmful than smoking, and encouraged a wide spread adoption of the technology. The results were so impressive that the NHS may even begin prescribing usage to patients. Our store manager Anil was interviewed by BBC London when this announcement was made, listen below:

It seems that the anti-e-cigarette campaign has resulted in mixed feelings from the public at large, for while a greater number of people now believe that e-cigarettes are more harmful than smoking – 22%, up from last year’s result of 15% – according to Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), up to half a million new vapers have joined the community, bringing it up to a whopping 2.6 million strong in the UK alone. So, as the nation becomes ever more polarised on the subject, what has driven these numbers and who should be believed?

Healthcare is an important part of any government’s responsibility to its people, which is why the $12 million being raised as part of a proposed healthcare bill in the US is something that will be welcomed in many quarters. However, there are two things that pique our interest here at The London Vape Company – the first being that for a country the size of the US, that has a population of over 300m, this sum seems practically insignificant, unable to even scratch the surface of any healthcare issue, and the second is the bill’s targeting of e-cigarettes.