People receiving mental health support in Bury are being given the chance to swap their cigarettes for vapes.

Adults in the borough as well as Rochdale aged 18 or over who have a severe mental health illness and are receiving support in a community setting have been offered help to quit smoking with free vapes and specialist support over a three-month period.

While the ultimate goal is to quit smoking completely, offering to swap tobacco cigarettes for vapes offers a less harmful alternative in the short-term.

Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust has started offering the opportunity for support in collaboration with their public health partners, with many people taking up the option on the launch day alone.

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Operational and clinical lead for physical health and treatment at Pennine Care, Sarah Coogan-Hill, said: “Alongside the support to quit smoking completely, there is an offer of a vape with three months’ worth of vape liquids to allow for a sustained period of support to people using our community mental health services.

“Smoking is still one of the most harmful threats to the health of people in this country and it’s important we look at all the ways we can help people quit. On the first morning of the scheme we immediately had people asking to take up the offer of help and support to quit.

“Being one of the first organisations to work collaboratively on focussing support for patients with a severe mental health illness means we’re ahead of the curve, but this is a very early test and learn phase.

"If it goes well we’ll then hope to get funding to expand it and start other projects across our trust.

"We provide mental health services in Stockport, Tameside and Oldham too so there’s scope for this to potentially help a lot of people quit smoking.”

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The programme is already helping people quit and lead a healthier life.

One patient, describing how he is seeing the benefits already, said: “I took up the offer of support as I wanted to save money and get better with my health.

"I was spending £40 a week on cigarettes and my stamina was really suffering, I just wanted to get better but I needed help to do it.

“At first I really wanted cigarettes still and it was hard not to have them, but I’m now only using the vape and haven’t been using cigarettes at all.

“I’ve seen some really good changes, I’m not coughing as much now and I feel like quitting permanently is something I can achieve. It’s been a real help.”