The UK government gave away free vapes to get people to quit smoking – and it worked
In a bold public health experiment launched in late 2023, the UK government began handing out free vape starter kits to smokers across England as part of the “Swap to Stop” initiative – a world-first national program aimed at slashing smoking rates toward a “smokefree” target of 5% or less by 2030.
The scheme, which offered adult smokers free e-cigarette kits paired with behavioural support, has shown early signs of success.
New research reveals that in the year following its rollout, from December 2023 to December 2024, approximately 125,000 more people in England used vapes as part of a quit attempt compared to what would have been expected without the programme.
The findings come from a study published in the journal Addiction, led by researchers from the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) Policy Research Unit in Addictions at King’s College London and University College London.
They analysed data from the ongoing Smoking Toolkit Study, which conducts monthly surveys of adults aged 16 and over in England.
The analysis identified a sustained 1.5 percentage point increase in the proportion of people reporting vape use during past-year quit attempts after the scheme’s introduction. This shift persisted through the end of 2024.
“Smoking kills more than half of its long-term users, so even seemingly small changes in behaviour can have a large impact at a population level. It’s reassuring to see such a clear population-level effect associated with this initiative, showing that well-designed schemes can meaningfully shift people towards less harmful alternatives,” said Professor Leonie Brose, Professor of Addictions & Public Health at King’s IoPPN and senior author of the study.
This was echoed by the study’s lead author Dr. Vera Buss, Senior Research Fellow in Behavioural Science at University College London.
“It’s great news that around 125,000 people in England tried to quit smoking using vapes after the swap to stop scheme was introduced. People who use vapes are about 50% more likely to quit smoking successfully than those who use nicotine replacement therapy, and quitting smoking substantially reduces the risk of many serious diseases,” she said.
The initiative drew inspiration from evidence showing vapes to be more effective than traditional nicotine replacement therapies like patches or gum for smoking cessation.
Prior studies, including randomised trials, have indicated that providing free vapes with support can help roughly 1 in 5 participants quit successfully.
Launched in December 2023, Swap to Stop aimed to reach up to one million smokers with free vape starter kits – including devices, e-liquids in various strengths and flavours – distributed through local stop smoking services, pharmacies, hospitals, and partner organisations.
The programme was part of a wider anti-smoking push that included crackdowns on illicit underage vape sales.
While the new study focuses on the increase in vape-assisted quit attempts rather than long-term abstinence rates, researchers argue the results validate the approach.
They recommend continued government funding for the program and suggest other countries consider similar harm-reduction models as part of national tobacco control efforts.
