The Royal Borough of Greenwich is encouraging smokers to ditch the cigarettes in exchange for vapes this Stoptober. Quitting cold turkey isn’t always easy but vaping is a great way to ease the transition.

Local health service, Live Well Greenwich, can provide one-to-one support, drop-in sessions, Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) and e-cigarettes to get you to your healthiest self. NRT is a medicine that provides you with a low level of nicotine, without the tar, carbon monoxide and other poisonous chemicals present in tobacco smoke. It comes in the form of chewing gum, patches, sprays, inhalators and oral medicines/lozenges.

Cllr Denise Scott-Mcdonald, Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Services said: “You are three times more likely to quit with support from services like Live Well. We welcome you with open, non-judgemental arms so that you can get the advice you need to live your best, healthiest lives free from the heightened risks of serious illnesses.

“Providing free, accessible services ensures no one gets left behind and that everyone has the same opportunity to not only improve their physical health, but – in just 6 weeks – reap the benefits to their mental health and environments too.”

Earlier this year, the Royal Borough of Greenwich invited 18,754 ever smokers aged 55-74 years to a NHS lung health check. Of those 3,318 came forward for their lung health check with a nurse and 1,806 high risk patients attended a CT scan. 153 of those that checked were referred for further tests. The screening will be returning before the end of the year so smokers should expect an invitation soon.

Having longer lasting health issues to your lungs is preventable. It takes just one call or one email to begin to change your habits. Smoking is still the most preventable cause of death with 75,000 dying of its causes in the UK every year – trumping obesity, alcohol, road accidents, drug poisoning and HIV.

Even though vaping is much better for you if you’re a smoker, if you’ve never smoked before, vaping is an unhealthy and expensive habit. Vaping has taken over cigarettes when it comes to the smoking habits of young adults. If you are a non-smoker but vape, we would encourage you to use Stoptober to reduce your use or quit altogether!

A lot of vaping habits stem from social settings or peer pressure. Live Well Greenwich is readily available to arm you or your teen with resources to break the habit.