Free NHS app help to quit vaping launched as Wales extends under-18 sales ban to nicotine-free vapes and pouches
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People in Wales who want to stop vaping can now get free help through a new module in the NHS Wales Help Me Quit app, launched by Public Health Wales on the day new sales restrictions on vapes and nicotine products take effect. The module lets users set goals, track progress and tackle the habits that make quitting vaping difficult, and offers personalised quit planning and support to cut nicotine strength and vaping frequency.
What changes in the shops
The new laws extend the ban on sales to under-18s to include nicotine-free vapes and nicotine products such as pouches. They also prohibit promotional giveaways and substantial promotional discounts on these products. Deputy Minister for Public and Preventative Health Nerys Evans said the changes protect children and young people's health by stopping under-18s accessing the products and clamping down on free giveaways and discounts designed to tempt them.
Who the support is for
Public Health Wales says more people are seeking help to reduce or stop vaping, including former smokers who used vapes to quit tobacco and now want to become nicotine-free. It says vaping remains substantially less harmful than smoking, and that staying smoke-free should remain the priority for anyone who has used a vape to stop smoking. Mary-Ann McKibben, Consultant in Public Health for Public Health Wales, called the module a practical, evidence-based and proportionate response that helps people reduce or stop vaping at a pace that is right for them.
Other tools and guidance
The app module comes with bilingual resources: Your Quit Plan, an online tool to set goals and plan how to stop; Passport to Vape Free, with advice on managing cravings and quitting gradually or in one step; and a Vape Taper Tracker to monitor vaping and identify triggers. There is also new guidance for teachers, youth workers, school nursing teams and healthcare professionals, called Vape Wise and the Nicotine Dependence Guide, developed mainly for those working with young people aged 12 to 17. Public Health Wales says children and young people should not smoke or vape, but those already dependent should be able to seek help without judgement.
How to get help
People can visit helpmequit.wales, call Help Me Quit on 0800 085 2219, or text HMQ to 80818.