Swap 2 Stop

Swap2stop is part of the UK government’s Smokefree campaign. It is a nationwide initiative that encourages smokers to switch to less harmful alternatives to cigarettes.

About the perioperative Swap2stop scheme

Smoking causes serious harm to your body, affecting your anaesthetic, surgery, and recovery. Smoking results in impaired wound healing, increased risk of post-operative infection, longer hospital stays and a greater risk of an emergency re-admission post-operatively.

Quitting smoking is the single best thing you can do to improve your health and wellbeing. That’s why at UHSussex, we ask all smokers to make a quit attempt before surgery. Using a vape to help you quit tobacco smoking is now the most popular and effective method to become smokefree. The Swap2stop scheme offers you the chance to be smokefree before surgery by providing you with a free re-usable vape starter kit – including a vape, coils and e-liquid – to make a tobacco quit attempt.

The Swap2stop scheme is open to any patient from Sussex who is receiving surgical care from UHSussex.

Swap2stop is part of UK government’s Smokefree campaign. It is supported by the Office for Health Improvement & Disparities and locally by West Sussex wellbeing and public health team.

How does the scheme work?

The first step is to discuss the scheme with one of the swap2stop team who are trained to give you the advice you need to make a quit attempt. They can register you for the scheme by collecting some basic information about you including your email address.
We will then send you a unique voucher code for a free vape starter kit. This voucher is redeemed online, via telephone or in-store with our partners – Totally Wicked. They will arrange for a free vape starter kit to be sent directly to you.
Then it is time to plan your quit and make a start.
After 4 weeks, you will receive a follow-up email and questionnaire from us to see how you are getting on.

There are two ways to register for the Swap2stop scheme: in-person or online.

If your pre-operative assessment is at Worthing Hospital or St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester, then the nursing staff there can discuss the scheme with you and register you in-person.

Alternatively, you can express an interest in joining the Swap2stop scheme online and one of our team will contact you by phone to explain how it works.

If you wish to express an interest in joining the Swap2stop scheme, then use the following link to leave your details.

Registration of interest form

Planning your quit attempt

An unplanned tobacco quit attempt is more likely to fail than a planned quit attempt. Your chances of success are significantly improved if you consider why you want to quit and how you are going to approach making a quit attempt.

Our free goal setting document can help you think about these things before setting a quit date.

Guide to ordering your vape

To order your free vape, you first need a unique voucher code. This is only available once one of our team have discussed the Swap2stop scheme with you and completed a registration form.

On completion of the registration form, an email containing your voucher code will automatically be emailed to you. Once you have this code, you can place your order with Totally Wicked by phone 01254 692244, in-store or via the website which takes you straight to the vape bundle on offer: Tornado GTL 4 Week Bundle. The Tornado GTL 4 Week Bundle is the only product provided by this scheme. Your voucher is only valid with Totally Wicked and will not work with other providers.

Once you have your code you can follow the step-by-step instructions below:

Go to https://www.totallywicked-eliquid.co.uk/hipartners5
Select the “Tornado GTL vape 4 week bundle” (Tornado GTL 4 Week Bundle). NB Your voucher code is only valid for this vape bundle and cannot be used for any other products.
Choose your vape colour
Choose a flavour
Choose the strength of the 10 free e-liquid bottles (see below for suggested strengths)
Go to the basket and insert your unique voucher code in the ‘apply discount code’ field
Proceed to checkout
Create an account and return to your shopping basket
Add the delivery address
Complete order

How to order your vape video guide

(NB: your vape will be different to the one shown in the video)

The Swap2stop vape starter kit is the Tornado GTL 4 Week Bundle.

What dose of e-liquid will I need?

Totally Wicked offers 6 different flavours across 3 different nicotine strength options, with the recommended doses as follows:

Smokes 1-5 a day – 0.6% (6mg/ml)
Smokes 5 – 15 a day – 1.0% (10mg/ml)
Smokes 15-20 a day – 1.6% (16mg/ml)

If you smoke greater than 20 cigarettes per day, you may find you need to use additional nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) alongside using your vape.

Useful aids and support to help you quit

We have put together some useful videos to support you during the Swap2stop scheme.

E-cigarettes vs. cigarettes

Vape safety video

Totally Wicked – An introduction to the Tornado GTL

How to vape

How to use the Tornado GTL

How to change your vape coil

In addition, your local pharmacy and council smoking services can help with support and advice during a quit attempt. They can also discuss other forms of medication used for smoking cessation.

What happens when I come in for my surgery?

All our hospitals are smokefree, so tobacco smoking is not permitted on any site within the trust. However, we now allow vaping in designated areas. This means you can continue nicotine replacement using a vape if you receive inpatient post-operative care.

The safety of using a vape

Vapes are not risk free but they are at least 95% less harmful than smoking cigarettes. The UK also has some of the strictest regulation for vapes in the world. All vape ingredients must first be approved by the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency. Only regulated vapes from a reputable retailer should be used.

What goes into a vape

When lit, a cigarette produces over 5000 chemicals including 70 that are known to cause cancer. In particular, cigarettes contain the harmful substances tar and carbon monoxide. These substances are not present in vapes. Whilst a cigarette burns tobacco creating harmful smoke, a vape works by producing a vapour from heating a liquid (e-liquid). This liquid contains 4 general ingredients: propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine, nicotine and flavourings.