Smokers in Scotland heal themselves

Fewer people in Scotland are using National Health Service provisions in an attempt to quit smoking amid a rise in electronic cigarette use, according to a story by Ian Marland for The Times.

The overall number of people smoking in Scotland has fallen despite a large drop since 2011-12 in the number of people using NHS provisions to quit.

Statisticians said that while the reason for the fall in the use of NHS services was not completely clear, a rise in the use of electronic cigarettes to help quitting “is a likely contributing factor”.

Meanwhile, figures from NHS Scotland show that 64,736 people made quit smoking attempts using the NHS in 2015-16, down five percent from the 67,935 of 2014-15, according to a story in the Scottish Daily Record & Sunday Mail relayed by the TMA.

Cancer Research UK’s senior public affairs manager in Scotland Gregor McNie said it was deeply concerning to see a drop in the number of people using smoking cessation services in Scotland because they were much more successful at helping people quit than was willpower alone.

McNie said that smoking was a lethal addiction that caused at least 14 types of cancer.

It was vital that funding for the NHS services was maintained and smokers were encouraged to attend.

Cancer Research UK says that it will soon launch a study to understand better how these services are performing in Scotland and what more can be done to ensure smokers are supported in stubbing out this habit for good.