title: Views from the Coalface: What Do English Stop Smoking Service Personnel Think about E-Cigarettes?
abstract: The UK Stop Smoking Services (SSS) are a source of information and advice on e-cigarettes for smokers and thus it is important to understand the knowledge of, and attitudes towards, e-cigarettes held by stop smoking practitioners. The datasets were English SSS quarterly monitoring returns (n = 207,883) and an online survey of English SSS practitioners, managers, and commissioners between 26th November and 15th December 2014 (n = 1801). SSS monitoring data suggested 2% of clients were using e-cigarettes to quit with SSS and that clients using e-cigarettes had similar quit rates to clients using Varenicline. Most SSS personnel are waiting for licenced e-cigarettes to become available before they will recommend them to clients. However, less than a quarter view e-cigarettes as "a good thing". Managers and commissioners were more positive than practitioners. SSS personnel working for the NHS (hospitals and GP surgeries) were less positive about e-cigarettes than those employed elsewhere. E-cigarettes were cited as the most important reason for the recent decline in service footfall. Thus dissemination of information about e-cigarettes needs to be examined and services should address their stance on e-cigarettes with some urgency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK. r.hiscock@bath.ac.uk.|UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies (UKCTAS), Nottingham NG5 1PB, UK. r.hiscock@bath.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Rosemary
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hiscock
authors.affiliation: UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies (UKCTAS), Nottingham NG5 1PB, UK. linda.bauld@stir.ac.uk.|School of Health Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK. linda.bauld@stir.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bauld
authors.affiliation: Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), Suites 59-63, 6th Floor, New House, 67-68 Hatton Garden, London EC1N 8JY, UK. deborah.arnott@ash.org.uk.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Arnott
authors.affiliation: Public Health England, Skipton House, 80 London Road, London, SE1 6LH, UK. Martin.Dockrell@phe.gov.uk.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dockrell
authors.affiliation: Stop Smoking Service Leicester City Council, Leicester LE1 6TH, UK. louise.ross@leicester.gov.uk.
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.affiliation: UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies (UKCTAS), Nottingham NG5 1PB, UK. andy.mcewen@ncsct.co.uk.|National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training (NCSCT), 1-6 Yarmouth Place, LondonW1J 7BU, UK. andy.mcewen@ncsct.co.uk.
authors.forename: Andy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McEwen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003376:Counseling; D066300:Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006113:United Kingdom
keywords: cessation; e-cigarettes; harm reduction; stop smoking services