Olivia Maynard is a psychologist at the University of Bristol whose research focuses on drug use, harm reduction, and public health. She studies how people understand the risks and benefits of using substances such as nicotine, alcohol, and other drugs, and how these beliefs influence behaviour. Her work explores how individual- and population-level interventions can change drug use patterns, and how misinformation and stigma affect public attitudes and policy. Currently, she is examining how the nationwide ‘Swap-to-Stop’ scheme is received in lung health check settings and is developing a Reasons for Not Vaping Scale for use among adults who smoke.

Abstract

Supporting Swap to Stop: A pilot investigation of vaping information provision for people attending lung health check

Vaping is an effective tool for quitting smoking, yet most people who smoke mistakenly believe it is more harmful than smoking. This mixed methods study aimed to assess whether providing low-cost, low-effort informational materials promoting vaping could increase acceptance of a free e-cigarette offered through the Swap to Stop scheme to people who smoke attending a Targeted Lung Health Check. This two-arm crossover pilot study ran over six one-week phases (A-B-A-B-A-B). Control weeks (A) provided usual care; intervention weeks (B) included an educational video, posters, and leaflets about e-cigarettes. Vape acceptance and use were compared between A and B weeks. A subset of participants from intervention weeks also took part in qualitative interviews to explore perceptions of the informational materials and vaping. Data collection is ongoing; full results will be presented at the conference. In total, 114 patients accepted vapes across the intervention weeks, versus 58 in control weeks. Preliminary qualitative findings suggest mixed impacts of the materials. While some found them helpful, others reported limited impact due to strong negative beliefs. An important influence on vape uptake was the attitude of the nurse offering it. Preliminary findings suggest that while low-cost informational materials may support vape acceptance among those already open to vaping, they are less effective for others. The nurse’s attitude when offering the vape significantly influenced uptake. Schemes like Swap-to-Stop should not rely solely on giving out free vapes; staff should receive training to deliver supportive, accurate messages that address misconceptions and build trust.