Switch, Quit & Save
Pocket the Difference
The cost of living is making everyone rethink their finances, with many changing their daily habits and looking to quitting smoking to reduce their outgoings.
We all know stopping smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health. However, switching and quitting can have a big impact on your finances too.
Our Switch, Quit and Save campaign looks at how much money you can save by switching or quitting completely. We also have some hints and tips on how to take those important first steps and where to get FREE help and support.
ASH Wales has teamed up with Public Health Wales to create information resources for advisers and other professionals working with smokers.
The Cost
How much do you spend on smoking?
Switching
It’s the nicotine in tobacco products that makes them addictive. The symptoms of nicotine addiction are both physical and psychological.
The good news is that withdrawal symptoms usually peak after a few days and decrease over a few weeks.
Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRT) and E-cigarettes containing nicotine help the body cope with those nicotine cravings.
Vaping 95% less harmful than smoking
Switching to using an e-cigarette containing nicotine is one of the most effective and popular ways to give up smoking. Vaping is significantly less harmful than smoking and can be much cheaper alternative. Read our cost of living blog post HERE.
Combining fast acting and slow-release products is more effective than a single product
Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) including nicotine gum, lozenges, inhalator or nasal spray are fast acting and help manage peak urges. Nicotine patches deliver a slow release and consistent supply of nicotine for up to 24 hours.
NRT can be bought from pharmacies and shops. It’s also available on prescription from a doctor or FREE from NHS services Help Me Quit.
Treatment with NRT usually lasts 8-12 weeks, before you gradually reduce the dose and eventually stop.
Stop smoking medication increases your chances of success by up to 100% compared to going it alone
Bupropion (brand name Zyban) is a medicine which has been found to help people quit smoking.
It’s not clear exactly how it works, but it’s thought to have an effect on the parts of the brain involved in addictive behaviour.
Click HERE for our full online NRT guide used by health professionals across Wales.
Quitting
Help Me Quit is run by NHS Wales and offers free smoking cessation advice and support to all smokers in Wales.
As well as helping smokers to find the stop smoking support that suits them best, it offers weekly group and one to one sessions or telephone support with a smoking cessation advisor.
Getting NHS support increases your chances of success by up to 300%
Top 10 Quit Smoking Tips
- Set a date to quit.
- Get rid of smoking products in your home.
- Try different NRTs to find what’s best for you.
- Use a combination of NRT types.
- Find ways to keep your mind off cravings.
- You can use fast acting NRTs before cravings hit.
- Avoid situations where you’d normally smoke.
- Keep track of the money you’re saving.
- Exercise. Try to stay active to reduce stress.
- Get help. Combine NRT with specialist support.
For more on our quit smoking tips, see what advice our known experts have to give – click HERE.
Saving
How much could you save if you switch to vaping?
As a smoker you spend roughly |
If you switch to vaping, you’d spend roughly |
Your potential savings |
|||
| Weekly | £21.00 | Weekly | £0.53 | Weekly | £20.48 |
| Monthly | £90.00 | Monthly | £2.25 | Monthly | £87.75 |
| Yearly | £1,095.00 | Yearly | £27.38 | Yearly | £1,067.63 |
As a smoker you spend roughly |
If you switch to vaping, you’d spend roughly |
Your potential savings |
|||
| Weekly | £42.00 | Weekly | £1.05 | Weekly | £40.95 |
| Monthly | £180.00 | Monthly | £4.50 | Monthly | £175.50 |
| Yearly | £2,190.00 | Yearly | £54.75 | Yearly | £2,135.25 |
As a smoker you spend roughly |
If you switch to vaping, you’d spend roughly |
Your potential savings |
|||
| Weekly | £63.00 | Weekly | £1.58 | Weekly | £61.43 |
| Monthly | £270.00 | Monthly | £6.75 | Monthly | £263.25 |
| Yearly | £3,285.00 | Yearly | £82.13 | Yearly | £3,202.88 |
As a smoker you spend roughly |
If you switch to vaping, you’d spend roughly |
Your potential savings |
|||
| Weekly | £84.00 | Weekly | £2.10 | Weekly | £81.90 |
| Monthly | £360.00 | Monthly | £9.00 | Monthly | £351.00 |
| Yearly | £4,380.00 | Yearly | £109.50 | Yearly | £4,270.50 |
As a smoker you spend roughly |
If you switch to vaping, you’d spend roughly |
Your potential savings |
|||
| Weekly | £126.00 | Weekly | £3.15 | Weekly | £122.85 |
| Monthly | £540.00 | Monthly | £13.50 | Monthly | £526.50 |
| Yearly | £6,570.00 | Yearly | £164.25 | Yearly | £6,405.75 |
* These price comparisons are based on number of cigarette puffs replaced with number of puffs on a vape containing 2% nicotine (20mg of nicotine per 1ml of e-liquid). Required vape usage may vary depending on nicotine strength and other factors may vary.
* Vaping costs are based on cost of e-liquid refill bottles after an initial purchase of a refillable and rechargeable vape, with kits available from around £20.
“I smoke rollies”
If you smoke tobacco as roll-ups, cigars, or in pipes, here is our handy guide to help you calculate the equivalent number of cigarettes you smoke.
Rolling Tobacco
1 x roll-up cigarette = 1 x cigarette
30g bag of tobacco = 60 x cigarettes
1 x 30g bag a week = 8.5 x cigarettes a day
50g bag of tobacco = 100 x cigarettes
1 x 50g bag a week = 14 x cigarettes a day
How much could you save using NRT
NRT can be bought from pharmacies and shops. It’s also available on prescription from a doctor or FREE from NHS services Help Me Quit.
Treatment with NRT usually lasts 8-12 weeks, before you gradually reduce the dose and eventually stop.
The average price of 2 forms of NRT is £20 a week.
Professional Support
Created with the help of financial advisors and health practitioners across Wales, our campaign offers:
- FAQ sheets on the financial and health benefits of stopping smoking.
- Information resources and (NRT Z-cards).
- Campaign materials.
Find out more
To get involved in the campaign or to find out more, please contact: Rachelb@ashwales.org.uk
