E-cigarettes are to be promoted by Public Health England (PHE) during its Stoptober campaign for the first time, with the devices included in promotional material and adverts.

The news has been welcomed by retailers as both an opportunity to help their customers and to promote their e-cigarette offering. Paul Walker, who owns a Bargain Booze store in Warrington, told Retail Express: “We’ll be doing promotions around Stoptober with deals on a starter kit, I think the endorsement of e-cigarettes will have a definite impact on our store.”

Asked about the decision to include vaping suppliers in Stoptober, he added: “It is a quit smoking aid. Public Health England have done the research and came to this decision – anything that helps people quit smoking can only be a good thing.”

A spokesperson from The Independent British Vape Trade Association, which is taking part in this year’s campaign, said:  “When PHE asked to partner with IBVTA and made clear that this year’s campaign would be explicitly supportive of vaping, we felt it was our duty to welcome PHE’s approach.”

While Public Health England is now behind vaping as a means to stop smoking, not all government services agree, with NICE, the organisation in charge of deciding which treatments can be used by the NHS, still refusing to officially recommend e-cigarettes.

Do it: Retailers previously told Retail Express that placing e-liquids and devices on display can increase sales by 20%.