E-cigarettes now the most popular quit smoking tool in Wales

E-cigarettes are by far the most common quit smoking tool in Wales, according to new figures published by Welsh Government.

In the past year more than twice as many Welsh smokers chose e-cigarettes as their quit smoking aid compared to patches or gum.
According to the latest figures from the National Survey for Wales, of the 467,000 smokers – 45% tried to give up last year, with 49% choosing e-cigarettes whilst 22% tried nicotine patches, inhaler or gum.

Of the smokers that tried to quit 5% used other quit smoking medication or consulted a pharmacist and 3% called a quit smoking helpline.
Across Wales, 6% of adults now reportedly use e-cigarettes with the vast majority (76%) saying they started vaping as a way to give up smoking tobacco.
Of the e-cigarette users surveyed, 50% were smokers, 49% were ex-smokers and only 1% had never smoked.

ASH Wales CEO Suzanne Cass said the figures showed just how effective e-cigarettes can be as a smoking cessation tool.

“Over 5,000 people in Wales are dying every year from a tobacco related illness and e-cigarettes are proving to be a vital weapon in our armoury against this deadly addiction.
“Research has shown e-cigarettes are the most effective stop smoking tool available when combined with behavioural support. We would advise all smokers to seek help and quit in whichever way suits them best.
“The fact that so many Welsh smokers are switching from tobacco to vaping, proves just how popular this quit smoking tool is and what an opportunity there is to reach the remaining 30% of smokers that have yet to give it a try.”

Smoking prevalence in Wales has fallen to 17% – a 2 percentage point drop since the 2016-17 survey was carried out. 29% of the adult population are ex-smokers and 54% have never smoked – a 2% increase.
Smoking remains highest among the most deprived communities in Wales with 20% of those in the 3 most deprived quintiles smoking compared to 14% in the least deprived.

The survey also looked at exposure to second-hand smoke and found that 29% of non-smokers have been exposed to tobacco smoke indoors or outdoors – a fall of 5% since 2016-17.

According to the latest research from Public Health England, vaping is 95% less harmful than smoking as e-cigarettes do not produce tar or carbon monoxide, two of the most harmful elements found in cigarette smoke.
Although, there is a 5% risk that vaping could be harmful, this is just a fraction of the harm caused by tobacco cigarettes, which contain 4,000 chemicals, 50 of which cause cancer.
Ideally e-cigarettes should only be used as a smoking cessation tool and ASH Wales would strongly discourage anybody from vaping if they are not a smoker.

ASH Wales responds to latest vaping research

New studies continue to be published into e-cigarettes and it is understandable that they cause concern among vapers.

The latest review of research into vaping by researchers from Ohio State University has been published in the Cardiovascular Research journal and it claims that some studies show vaping can harm the heart and blood vessels.

According to the research review, some studies have shown that e-cigarettes contain particulate matter such as metals and flavourings, that can lead to cardiovascular problems, by entering the blood stream in the same way as air pollution.

However, it is important to put this research into context. It is  based on a review of existing studies, which, according to Loren Wold, the senior author of the study, are ‘inconsistent’. Meanwhile the impact of long-term e-cigarette use on the heart remains unknown.

The most recent research carried out by Public Health England shows that e-cigarettes are 95% less harmful than tobacco cigarettes. This is because e-cigarettes do not produce tar or carbon monoxide, two of the most harmful elements found in tobacco smoke.
Although, there is a 5% risk that vaping could be harmful, this is just a fraction of the harm caused by tobacco cigarettes, which contain 4,000 chemicals, 50 of which cause cancer.

All e-cigarettes sold in this country are regulated by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) – a very different situation from that in America where the studies have been carried out.

They are a highly effective smoking cessation tool, with a major clinical trial carried out in 2019 having shown that when combined with expert face to face support, smokers who used e-cigarettes were twice as likely to quit as those who used traditional nicotine replacement therapy such as patches or gum.

According to the latest figures from the National Survey for Wales, 6% of the population in Wales now vape, with the most common reason given for using e-cigarettes being to stop smoking tobacco. In the past year 45% of smokers had tried to give up the habit, with 49% of them using e-cigarettes as a cessation tool.

Currently smoking prevalence in Wales now stands at just 17% of the population, and smoking remains the biggest cause of early preventable death, killing 5,000 people every year in Wales.

Ideally e-cigarettes should only be used as a smoking cessation tool and ASH Wales would strongly discourage anybody from vaping if they are not a smoker.

However, smoking remains the biggest threat to our nation’s health and e-cigarettes could be our most effective weapon in the fight to eradicate this deadly addiction.

How to cope with stress without a cigarette in your hand

To mark Stress Awareness Day, we’ve taken a look at stress and smoking and how to find new ways of coping with life’s challenges without a cigarette in your hand.

We all have different ways of coping with stress and for many smokers, lighting up a cigarette provides an instant sense of relief.

This dependence on smoking to cope in stressful situations can make it particularly difficult for smokers to quit the habit.

Some believe that without the crutch of a cigarette, they will crumble when the going gets tough. What many smokers don’t realise however, is that in fact smoking is the cause not the cure for stress. Nicotine cravings and withdrawal symptoms cause feelings of anxiety, agitation and stress among smokers.

What appears to be a feeling of relaxation when they smoke is merely a temporary respite from nicotine cravings which then resume, shortly after the cigarette has been stubbed out.

It’s a vicious circle which can be very difficult to break. However, with the right support in place it’s possible to cope with stress without a cigarette in your hand.

Breaking the cycle

Step one is the to quit the habit. There’s no quit smoking method that suits everybody and its’ important to find the right method for you.
Research has shown however that trying to quit through will power alone is not the best method of stopping smoking, with only 3 in every 100 smokers able to give up this way.
You can double your chances of smoking by using nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and have an even greater chance of giving up for good if you also receive behavioural support.
To find out what support will suit you best, contact NHS Wales Help Me Quit service which provides free smoking cessation support.

If you have relied on smoking to deal with stress then it is important to find new ways of coping – or you may be tempted to relapse.
Here are some stress busting suggestions:

Self-care
Looking after yourself won’t stop stressful events from occurring but it will enhance your ability to deal with those situations. Make sure you get enough sleep and that you have a healthy diet. Avoid overindulging in alcohol or and try to reduce the amount of caffeine you drink. If you feel good physically then this will affect your state of mind.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1572962973149{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]

Exercise

When you exercise your body releases natural chemicals that help to improve your mood and reduce stress levels. If you are in the house feeling overwhelmed then head out for a walk or a jog. You’d be surprised by what an impact that can have on your mood.

Talk
Don’t struggle with stress alone. Share what is on your mind with friends and family. If you are dealing with particularly difficult challenges, it may help to speak to a trained counsellor.

Be mindful

Stress can be caused by worrying about the future. Life is unpredictable and it’s natural to fear what’s around the corner. Mindfulness is the practice of focussing on what is happening right now and it can have a real impact of stress, anxiety and depression. A good way to start is to set aside a time every day when you slow down and focus solely on you breathing, how you are feeling and your immediate surroundings.

Distraction

Sometimes the best way to cope with stress is to distract yourself from whatever you are worrying about. Why not take up a relaxing hobby that you can pick up easily at home and do whenever you are feeling tense or just to relax in the evenings. Some people find knitting, crochet or puzzles beneficial. Others enjoy gardening or baking. Anything that keeps your mind and hands busy can encourage mindfulness, lower stress levels and also help with cigarette cravings.

How smoking affects men’s health

More men in Wales smoke than women and smoking remains the biggest avoidable cause of early death amongst the male population. To mark Men’s Health Awareness Month, we’ve taken a look at how smoking affects men’s health.

– In Wales 18% of men smoke compared to 16% of women

– One man in five dies before the age of 65 and smoking is still the biggest avoidable cause of early death for men in Wales.

– Smoking is a major cause of impotence and low sperm count. It restricts the flow of blood flow to the penis and also affects the quality and the quantity of men’s sperm.

– An Australian study carried out by researchers from Imperial College London in 2006 found that men who smoke a pack or more of cigarettes daily are nearly 40% more likely to be impotent than non-smokers. Meanwhile even smoking less than 20 cigarettes a day was found to increase the risk of impotence by 24%.

– According to Prostate Cancer UK, some studies show that smoking makes prostate cancer more likely to grow and spread to other parts of the body. Smoking may also make prostate cancer more likely to come back after surgery or radiotherapy.

– Heavy smoking means you are more likely to die from prostate cancer, however if you stop smoking your risk drops and after 10 years it could be as low as for men who have never smoked.

– Stopping smoking can also help with the side effects of prostate cancer treatment. For example, you may be less likely to suffer from urinary problems after radiotherapy if you stop smoking.

Going Solo – How One Woman Quit Smoking Using Will Power Alone

Alison Thorpe, a complaints case manager from Cardiff, gave up smoking having started aged just 13. She described the simple quit method she used to quit her 20-a-day habit.

“I first started smoking when I was 13-years-old. I just decided to try it with a friend one day and the rest was history.

“I would smoke around 20 cigarettes a day but probably more if I was going out in the evening. It become such a regular part of my day to day spending that I didn’t’ really notice the impact it was having on my finances.

“I finally decided to stop after my manager left an article about quitting smoking on my desk. It was about how you could give up by telling yourself that you could smoke if you chose to but that you are choosing not to.

“You could carry the cigarettes with you and choose not to smoke them. I decided to see how long I could last without a cigarette. I managed to get through the day without going for another cigarette. Then I went out with friends for coffee and kept telling myself I could go out later and have a cigarette if I wanted to. And I kept going like that until I realised I had stopped smoking altogether.

“It was quite challenging but will power won through in the end. I was also inspired to carry on by a colleague who said ‘you smell nice now. I can smell your perfume instead of the fags’.

“To any smokers out there who would like to give up I’d say do it when you are ready to do it and only if you want to. Tell yourself you can smoke if you want to but that you are choosing not to. “

Keep calm and carry on – what to do if you relapse after quitting smoking

In an ideal world we’d all give up smoking for good on our first quit attempt.

But for many smokers, the road to a smoke free life is a rocky one. Having navigated their way through cravings, many smokers find themselves back where they started after relapsing and lighting up again.

If this happens it’s crucially important not to adopt a defeatist attitude and start to believe that you are incapable of quitting. Just because you’ve slipped up it doesn’t mean you are not perfectly capable of picking yourself up and getting back on the road to recovery.

To help you on your way here is our guide to recovering from a relapse.

Marvellous mistakes:

Mistakes can be a brilliant learning opportunity. A slip-up gives you a chance to re-evaluate your strengths and weaknesses and find out how best to deal with the situations you find challenging. You may need to decide on a different quit smoking strategy. Don’t treat your slip up as a mistake but as a bump in the road that you must cross in order to come one step closer to giving up smoking

Remember your reasons:

It can be easy to focus on your failure after a slip up. Instead direct your thoughts to the reasons why you wanted to quit in the first place. Whether it’s health concerns or money that drove your quit attempt, remind yourself that those reasons haven’t gone away.

Keep your eye on the prize:

The benefits of giving up smoking are huge. If you’re lacking motivation to carry on quitting, then visual yourself as a non-smoker with more money, better health and without the smell of cigarette smoke clinging to your clothing. Focussing on this goal will go a long way to helping you to stay on track.

Share the burden:

Sometimes it’s embarrassing to tell friends and family that we’ve failed. Particularly if you’d announced that you were going to stop smoking. But there’s no shame in admitting that you’re only human and you’ve slipped up. You will need to support of friends and family to quit again and by hiding the truth from them you are denying yourself that help.

Call for help:

Research has shown that only 3 in every 100 smokers manage to quit permanently using will power alone. In fact, the most effective way to tackle cravings is a combination of stop smoking medicine and behavioural changes. Help Me Quit offers free help to all smokers who are trying to quit. If you’ve relapsed after trying to go cold turkey then get in touch with them by calling 0800 085 2219 and find out what support you could access.