E-cigarette rise credited as more smokers quit without NHS help

The number of people in Scotland using NHS services to quit smoking fell by 8 per cent last year.

The decline comes amid a rise in the use of electronic cigarettes and a recent fall in the number of smokers.

Statistics show the amount of quit attempts made with the help of NHS smoking cessation services that in 2016-17 was 59,767, down 8 per cent from 64,838 in 2015-16.

There has been a major drop in the number of supported quit attempts between 2011-12 and 2016-17, down 51 per cent.

The overall number of people smoking continues to fall, statisticians said. The drop in quit attempts has been attributed to several factors, including a rise in e-cigarettes.

Gregor Mcnie, of Cancer Research UK, said smoking cessation services were failing to reach enough people. She said: “How to help smokers stop needs to be at the heart of the Scottish Government’s updated tobacco strategy which is expected soon.

“Smoking cessation services are vital as they’re much more successful at helping people quit than will power alone.

“With around 18 per cent of adults in Scotland smoking, helping them to give up is essential to the health of our nation.”