Hull hospital hands out vapes in anti-smoking drive

E-cigarette vapour can still contain nicotine, but vapes do not contain tar or carbon monoxide

A hospital is handing out free vapes in an attempt to persuade staff and visitors to give up smoking.

The "Swap and Stop" initiative was held outside Hull Royal Infirmary.

Recent figures show that more that one in five people in Hull are smokers, the second highest rate in England.

Wendy Krstenic, Nurse Director at Hull University Teaching Hospitals, said despite the hospital being smoke free since 2006, many people still struggled to kick the habit.

"This new supportive approach gives people the opportunity to try a less harmful alternative to tobacco, rather than just telling them not to smoke, which we know doesn't work," she said.

"You never know, it may inspire that person to try swapping cigarettes for a vape completely, which will significantly improve their health".

One hospital worker Alex Scholes, who has smoked for 28 years, said the free vape she tried "wasn't too bad".

"I was a bit stressed earlier on my ward so I needed five minutes," she said.

She added that she hoped it would help her to quit smoking completely."It would save me so much money, my health would be better and my mum would be so pleased," she said.

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Dave Jones from the NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board said one in six people in Hull would die because of smoking

Dave Jones from the NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board said one in six people in Hull would die because of smoking,

"You can talk about statistics all you like until it's your nan or your mum or your brother or your best friend who is poorly, or who has unfortunately has died," he said.

"It's all part of that let's take responsibility for what essentially is the biggest killer of people in Hull."