Pregnant smokers in Warwickshire who are looking to quit have access to an improved stop smoking support offer with the Government ‘Swap to Stop’ programme.
Swap to Stop offers smokers over the age of 18 access to support to quit with the help of vape ‘quit kits’ as well as 12 weeks of behavioural support and stop smoking treatments. The offer has now been made available to pregnant women and expectant parents who live in Warwickshire or are registered with a Warwickshire GP.
Vapes are substantially less harmful than smoking because they do not contain tobacco, and evidence shows they can be an effective tool in supporting smoking cessation. Vaping is already estimated to contribute to an extra 50,000 to 70,000 smoking quits per year in England.
When a new baby is due, quitting smoking is one of the best things expectant parents can do. Women who smoke during pregnancy have a much higher risk of developing various complications during pregnancy, birth and beyond:
- In pregnancy, there is a higher chance of miscarriage, slow growth and premature birth. The risk of low-birth weight is 82% higher than a non-smoker and the risk of still-birth may be increased by as much as 50%.
- In infancy, there is a higher risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS, or cot death), wheezing and colic.
- In childhood, there is a higher chance that your child will develop asthma, behavioural problems (including ADHD), and some cancers.
- It is also more likely that children born to smoking parents will become smokers themselves.
A mother living in Warwickshire who previously accessed the Stop Smoking in Pregnancy (SSiP) service said: "I smoked with my previous pregnancies and I have really seen the difference it has made it this time. This is the heaviest baby I have had, he sleeps well, eats well and he’s perfect. Thank you for all your support."
Cllr Margaret Bell, Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care & Health said: “In Warwickshire, our specialist team of experienced advisors provide a friendly, confidential service to help you go smoke free for good.
“Being able to include the option of the vaping kits to help expectant parents and their families to quit is a great addition to the existing stop smoking support already available.
“Stopping smoking can be a challenge, but when a new baby is due, quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do as a family to give baby a heathy start in life.”
Linda Ward, Associate Director of Midwifery at South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust (SWFT) added: “If you’re expecting a baby and looking to quit smoking, you’re three times more likely to quit with the support from the Warwickshire Stop Smoking in Pregnancy service.
“Smoking while pregnant puts both you and your unborn baby at risk which may sound worrying, but the good thing is that by stopping smoking you can reduce these risks to that of a non-smoker.
“Quitting is also better for your health. If you stop smoking as soon as you can, this will reduce your chances of developing heart disease, stroke and various cancers. You are also less likely to develop a post-partum blood clot.
“We welcome the use of vapes as one of the options to aid pregnant smokers in Warwickshire to go smoke free for good.
While vaping is an effective stop smoking tool for smokers over the age of 18, it is not risk free and the long-term health impacts of vaping are still unknown, so vapes are not available to people under the age of 18 and should not be used by people who have never smoked. If you don’t smoke, don’t vape.
Many of the harmful components of cigarettes are not present in e-cigarettes. There is limited evidence on the safety of e-cigarettes to the unborn child, however the biggest risk to the unborn baby is that if the mother continues to smoke cigarettes.
Vaping poses only a small fraction of the risk of smoking and switching completely from smoking to vaping conveys substantial health benefits. (Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, 2022)
The inclusion of Swap to Stop in Warwickshire’s SSiP service is part of the national plan to create a ‘smoke-free generation’ (SFG) by 2030. Warwickshire County Council (WCC) received a government grant of £786,180 earlier this year to reduce smoking rates across the county. Although smoking rates have declined over the years, there are still over 66,000 adult smokers across the county, which is 13.9% of our population (aged 18+).
We know it’s much easier to stop smoking when you get the right support. Those looking to quit during pregnancy can visit https://quit4good.warwickshire.gov.uk/quit4baby or call 07917 227 004.
For anyone else looking to quit smoking, visit https://quit4good.warwickshire.gov.uk/.