Switch With EDGE Smoking Cessation Trial

People choose to find an alternative to smoking cigarettes for many reasons, for some it is money, for others their health, some simply want to move away form the negative stigma around smoking which is at greater heights now than ever before.

Whether a cessation journey ends with a zero-nicotine lifestyle, or if you just want to move to a method of nicotine delivery that is perceived as less harmful, vaping has become one of the most popular tools for people to achieve their goals.

In fact, research has found on multiple occasions that vaping is a more effective alternative than traditional NRT’s. A 2019 study by the National Institute for Health Research states:

“Smokers who use NHS stop smoking services appear almost twice as likely to be successful for a year if they use e-cigarettes than if they use nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products.”

In February 2021, Public Health England to their ongoing e-cigarette evidence review, which found vaping to be the most popular way for smokers to quit, with 27.2% using e-cigarettes, while only 18.2% utilised traditional NRT like patches and gums. The report highlights a number of key stats which flag vaping’s popularity:

• Nicotine vaping products were the most popular aid (27.2%) used by smokers trying to quit in England in 2020.
• It is estimated that in 2017, more than 50,000 smokers stopped smoking with the aid of a vaping product who would otherwise have carried on smoking.
• 38% of smokers in 2020 believed that vaping is as harmful as smoking – 15% believed that vaping is more harmful.
• Using a vaping product as part of a quit attempt in local stop smoking services had some of the highest quit success rates according to the NHS – between 59.7% and 74% in 2019 and 2020.

Part of the EDGE mission is to help consumers quit nicotine through a trusted, healthcare branded proposition. As a part of this, we extended our impartial making the switch and new to vaping information hubs to include the Switch with EDGE Trial.

Through this scheme we supported 4 volunteers who chose to use vaping to achieve their cessation goals.

Switch With EDGE Champions

Jane, John, Ryan and Liam all applied to be a part of our trial, each approaching with a specific cessation goal in mind.

They had free reign to explore our entire range of EDGE products at no cost, allowing them to freely experiment until they each found the tools which worked best. They had access to regular support and guidance comprised of factual impartial information as well as technical user-guidance for getting to grips with their new vaping products.

Each of our champions achieved fantastic results on their journeys, which you can read about in detail by following the links below:

Discover Jane’s Success Story

Discover John’s Success Story

Discover Ryan’s Success Story

Discover Liam’s Success Story

About the Trial

The trial ran for 6 months, during which time we supported our champions every step of the way.

We were on hand to answer any questions they may have, or point them towards trusted and impartial information hubs.

They had full access to our entire product range, allowing them to test things out without any cost, until they each discovered a combination of tools that suited their individual needs.

Why our Champions Volunteered

There were many personal reasons our champions decided to make the switch, which you can explore alongside their testimonials on our Success Stories page.

In general, three main things drove their decision making:

Cost

The cost-of-living crisis is very real, and smoking has never been more expensive in the UK than it is right now.

With the government pushing for big changes to achieve ‘smoke free 2030’ it is likely that costs will continue to rise. We made sure to check in with our volunteers to find out how much they felt making the switch had benefitted their finances!

Mental & Physical Health

It is widely recognised that within as little as two weeks after giving up smoking, our bodies begin to repair some of the damage caused by cigarette smoke. The will to avoid these health risks and get more active is a powerful motivator for many smokers looking for an alternative.

It doesn’t have to be about quitting, it’s about taking back control. Some of our champions quit altogether, others used vaping to help them reduce their habit to a more comfortable level – Do you have a similar goal?

Getting the Right Support

We followed our volunteers’ journeys for 6 months, making sure they had the tools and support to keep going every step of the way – they had the option to drop out at any time.

We checked in on their progress throughout the 6-month period, and interviewed them at the end – each person had found at least one reason (or more) to keep their vaping journey going despite the trial ending. Some specifically found the educational support around vaping to be particularly helpful.

If you are reading this and want to get involved yourself, we’d love to help – click here – You will be taken to our sign-up page where you can register to take part in the next Switch With EDGE Trial!