Swap to Stop gives eligible smokers a free vape kit. Here's what it is, who qualifies, and what happens after.
It's a genuinely good scheme and we'd encourage anyone eligible to use it. We also sell something people often reach for at the far end of it, so we'll be upfront about that and keep the two things separate.
What Swap to Stop is
A national English scheme offering adult smokers a free vape starter kit alongside behavioural support, delivered through local stop-smoking services. The reasoning is straightforward: switching from cigarettes to vaping is substantially less harmful, and over half of people who successfully quit smoking in recent years used a vape to do it.
Availability varies by local authority — some areas run it, some don't, and eligibility criteria differ. Your council's stop-smoking service is the place to check.
Who it's for
Adult smokers, generally aged 18+, usually prioritising those in areas of higher deprivation or with particular health needs. If you currently smoke, it costs nothing to ask.
It is not for people who don't smoke. The NHS position is clear that non-smokers, and especially young people, shouldn't take up vaping.
What happens after the swap
This is the part the scheme leaflets don't dwell on, and it's where most people eventually land.
The swap solves the biggest problem — getting off cigarettes. What it leaves you with is a nicotine habit in a different form. Plenty of people are happy to stay there indefinitely, and that's a reasonable place to stop. Others find that a year or two later they'd like to be off nicotine entirely, and discover that quitting the vape is its own project.
If that's where you are, the sequence that works is:
- Taper the nicotine strength over several weeks — 20mg to 12 to 6 to 3 to zero
- Keep the device briefly at 0mg so you're only changing one thing at a time
- Replace the device with something that meets the hand-to-mouth habit but can't step you back up
Our full guide to quitting vaping covers each stage properly, and this roundup compares the nicotine-free options for step three.
Where Flair fits, honestly
Nowhere near step one. If you currently smoke, take the free kit and the free support — that combination has real evidence behind it and we don't.
Flair is a nicotine-free aromatherapy inhaler for step three: the hand-to-mouth ritual once the nicotine is handled. It's not NRT, not a medical device, and it won't touch withdrawal. It's a thing to hold.
FAQ
Is Swap to Stop still running?
The scheme operates through local authorities and availability varies by area. Check with your local stop-smoking service for current eligibility.
Can I get Swap to Stop if I only vape?
No — it's aimed at people who currently smoke cigarettes.
What if I want to stop vaping afterwards?
Your local stop-smoking service supports vape cessation too, not just cigarettes. Start there.
Does Flair help you quit?
It's not a cessation aid and doesn't treat nicotine dependence. It addresses the behavioural habit only.
For the ritual, once the nicotine's handled.
The Flair Starter Set: the inhaler, five refill packs, a cleaning kit and a habit tracker, £49.98. Free UK delivery, 30-day returns, lifetime warranty.
Shop the Starter Set → · Browse refill bundles
A note on this page: General information, not medical advice, and not affiliated with the NHS or any local authority. Scheme details and eligibility change — check with your local stop-smoking service. Flair products are aromatherapy inhalers and are not medical devices, nicotine replacement therapy or cessation aids.
