What is the Impact of Smoking, Vaping and E-cigarettes on Respiratory Health? (with live Q&A)

Around 6.0 million people aged 18 years and over (11.9%) in the UK smoked cigarettes in 2023; with around 5.1 million adults aged 16 years and over (9.8%) who currently use an e-cigarette daily or occasionally in Great Britain.¹ It is estimated, that smoking costs the NHS in England £2.6 billion per year.²

There may be many different reasons why individuals may choose to smoke and the number of ways in which people can smoke is increasing, especially with the recent rise in e-cigarettes and vaping amongst young people.³

Of the people who smoked in 2023, 55.9% intended to quit smoking.¹ It is important that individuals who want to quit, can access smoking cessation services in their area. There should be consolidation between the community, local authorities and hospitals to support in the running of such services.

Healthcare professionals, notably nurses, have their own role to play, as smokers are more likely to engage with local stop-smoking services if a health professional has referred them.⁴

To discuss this important topic area, Professor David Thickett will be presenting on the harms of smoking including some considerations on the impact of smoking that are typically overlooked. He will also provide an overview of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), e-cigarettes and vaping, considering both the benefits and concerns for their long-term use in patients.

We also welcome Suzanne Cass from Action on Smoking and Health in Wales (ASH Wales), who will outline the significance of offering brief advice and support to patients, as well as review how smokers feel about the services they accessed have accessed through ASH Wales. This webinar also includes a video to showcase how advice and services have personally benefited a patient.

Chiesi hopes that this webinar will provide healthcare professionals with additional insights into smoking habits and how to safely support individuals in stopping smoking.

Please join us on Friday 28^th March 2025 at 1–2pm for this webinar and live Q&A session.

References

1. Office for National Statistics. Adult smoking habits in the UK: 2023. https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/healthandlifeexpectancies
/bulletins/adultsmokinghabitsingreatbritain/2023

2. NHS England. Guide for NHS trust tobacco dependence teams and NHS trust pharmacy teams. https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/guide-for-nhs-trust-tobacco-dependence-teams-and-nhs-trust-pharmacy-teams/

3. Tattan-Birch, Harry et al. Trends in vaping and smoking following the rise of disposable e-cigarettes: a repeat cross-sectional study in England between 2016 and 2023. July 2024. The Lancet Regional Health – Europe, Volume 42, 100924.

4. Jamie Waterall and Nicole Fisher. From policy to practice: creating a smokefree generation. British Journal of Nursing. Vol. 33. Issue 2. January 2024.

If you are experiencing any issues viewing the webinar please click here to view the webinar through the Zoom platform.

• Professor David Thickett DM FRCP

  Professor in Respiratory Medicine, Department of Inflammation and Ageing

  Read biography
  Professor David Thickett DM FRCP

  Professor in Respiratory Medicine, Department of Inflammation and Ageing University of Birmingham

  Role and Location
  David Thickett trained in Oxford and London. He was a specialist registrar in the South West region before doing his DM thesis on ARDS in Bristol. He was initially appointed as a Senior Lecturer in 2001 at University of Birmingham and then became a Wellcome Intermediate Fellow in 2006. He was appointed as a Reader in 2011 and promoted to Chair in Respiratory Medicine in 2014.

  Education
  MA (Oxon) DM FRCP

  Research Interests
  Prof. Thickett’s research interests are predominantly in the areas of primary lung epithelial and macrophage biology, murine models of acute lung injury, epithelial mesenchymal transition and translational clinical trials to prevent and treat acute lung injury and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. He has been and continues to be a co-investigator or principal investigator on a number of clinical trials successfully obtaining an MRC DCS grant for 2 clinical trials of vitamin D therapy to prevent lung injury following oesophagectomy.

  Professor Thickett has over 300 hundred existing publications in the field of Respiratory.

  Memberships
  – Associate Editor of Thorax (2011-2015)
  – Respiratory Trainee training committee member 2006-ongoing
  – Birmingham and the Black Country Respiratory Research Lead

• Suzanne Cass

  Chief Executive Officer for Action on Smoking and Health Wales

  Read biography
  Suzanne Cass

  Chief Executive Officer for Action on Smoking and Health Wales Wales

  Role and Location
  Suzanne has been the CEO of ASH Wales since 2015 and has more than 20 years’ experience of working within the charitable healthcare sector in Wales. Having spent the early part of her career as a broadcast journalist for BBC Wales, she has an in-depth understanding of policy and health within Wales. Suzanne is a passionate advocate of ensuring third sector input is acknowledged and considered by key decision makers and championing evidence-based policy actions that address health inequalities.

  Research Interests
  ASH Wales leads on research in Wales on public attitudes towards polices and actions to achieve a smokefree Wales, the illegal tobacco and vape market, and youth vaping in Wales.