The UK will become the first country in the world to launch a plan to reduce smoking, giving one million smokers a free e-cigarette starter kit with advice to help them quit. With the move, the UK government hopes to take a significant step closer to its goal of becoming a smoke-free country by 2030 - a country with 5% or less of smokers.

"Nearly two-thirds of lifetime smokers die as a result of smoking. We are giving a million smokers a new chance to quit. With the new publicly funded 'switch to quit' programme, we are offering a free e-cigarette starter kit to one million smokers across the UK," said UK Health Secretary Neil O'Brien, introducing the government's plan.

"UK's new plan is called swap to stop."

There are around 5.4 million smokers in the UK, meaning almost one in five smokers will receive a free e-cigarette starter kit. 13% of UK adults smoke. The smoking prevalence rate in Estonia is 26.3% and there are about 280,000 smokers.

"Although tens of thousands of people in Estonia have quit smoking with the help of e-cigarettes, it is still unfamiliar to many smokers. In the UK, on the other hand, there has been a lot of research into e-cigarettes and how to quit smoking. Since scientists have come to the conclusion that compared to regular cigarettes, the use of e-cigarettes is many times less harmful and they can be used to effectively quit smoking, the government of the United Kingdom has also favored the transition to e-cigarettes in order to finally quit smoking completely," explained Ingmar Kurg, member of the board of NNA Smokefree Estonia.

When introducing the plan, UK Health Minister Neil O'Brien said that there are plans to offer financial incentives to pregnant women who smoke to help them quit smoking. All pregnant women who smoke will be offered vouchers and smoking cessation advice this year and next year to make it easier for them to quit.

In addition, the government's plan includes allocating additional funds to curb the illegal e-cigarette market. Through the black market, e-cigarettes get into the hands of young people, and illegal traders also attract non-smokers to consume e-cigarettes.

Allikas: NNA Smokefree Estonia