UK Provides Free E-Cigarettes to Homeless Smokers

The UK has been at the forefront of the vaping industry, incorporating vaping products into hospital pharmacies and health insurance, and has even researched the feasibility of distributing e-cigarettes to smokers at homeless shelters in the UK, aiming to improve the health of these low-income groups and alleviate the economic burden of purchasing cigarettes.

As part of an early trial, four homeless shelters in the UK were assigned to either the usual care (UC) or e-cigarette (EC) group. The 32 participants in the UC group received smoking cessation advice and support from local cessation services. The 48 participants in the EC group were given an e-cigarette starter pack and a four-week supply of e-liquid.

The compiled results indicated that depression and anxiety scores decreased in both groups during the study. However, the group receiving the e-cigarette starter pack had a higher success rate in quitting smoking. Researchers reported: "The e-cigarette intervention was well-received, with minimal negative impacts and few unexpected consequences (such as loss, theft, or addition of illegal substances)."

The purpose of this trial was to assess the feasibility of providing free e-cigarette starter packs to smokers attending homeless shelters and to estimate parameters to inform potential larger-scale trials in the future.

A larger trial will follow, this time including 32 homeless shelters across five regions of the UK—Scotland, Wales, London, Southeast England, and East England. The average price of the e-cigarette starter kit is about £25, which will be distributed for free to participants in 50% of the participating centers, while those in other centers will be assigned to a care group.

The current trial will include 480 participants, with 240 in each group and 15 from each center. Professor Caitlin Notley from the Norwich Medical School at the University of East Anglia emphasized that the smoking rate among the homeless is higher than that of the general population. "We know that about 70% of homeless individuals smoke, which is far higher than the UK average of 14.1%. We also know that e-cigarettes are the most popular method for quitting smoking, and some studies suggest that e-cigarettes are more helpful than nicotine gum or patches and are much less harmful than smoking."

She reiterated that e-cigarettes are effective smoking cessation tools. "E-cigarettes simulate the experience of smoking because they are handheld and produce vapor that resembles smoke when used. They may be an attractive option to help people quit smoking, even if they have tried and failed before."