NHS Wales Expands Help Me Quit App with New Vaping Support 2026

Key Points

• I was excited to hear that Public Health Wales has launched a vaping module in the NHS Wales Help Me Quit app. Public Health Wales wants adults in Wales to reduce or stop vaping.
• The free module offers personalised planning, goal-setting, progress tracking, craving-management tools and support to reduce nicotine strength and vaping frequency. I can see how helpful this will be for people.
• The vaping module is mainly aimed at adults aged 18 and over. Is available in Welsh and English. I appreciate that the module is accessible to everyone.
• The launch coincided with Welsh restrictions on the sale and promotion of vaping and non-medicinal nicotine products, which came into force on 29 October 2026. Public Health Wales is making sure the rules are clear.
• The new laws extend the under-18 sales ban to nicotine- vapes and nicotine products such as pouches and prohibit promotional giveaways and substantial discounts. Public Health Wales wants to keep people safe.
• Public Health Wales says vaping is substantially less harmful than smoking and that former smokers who have quit using vapes should prioritise remaining smoke-free. Public Health Wales reminds us that staying smoke-free is important.
• New bilingual resources include Your Quit Plan, Passport to Vape Free and the Vape Taper Tracker. I find the names easy to remember.
• Separate guidance, Vape Wise and the Nicotine Dependence Guide has been created for professionals supporting people aged 12 to 17. Professionals can use these guides to help people.
• Help Me Quit support is available through the Help Me Quit website, app, telephone line and text service. I can. Text whenever I need help.
• As reported by Digital Health the development forms part of NHS Wales’ expanding support offer, for people seeking to quit vaping. NHS Wales is growing its help.

Wales (Wales Times) October 29, 2026 – People in Wales who want to reduce or stop vaping can now access free digital support through a new vaping module in the NHS Wales Help Me Quit app, launched by Public Health Wales as new restrictions on vape and nicotine-product sales and promotions take effect.

The module is designed to help users manage cravings, set quit goals, track progress and address habits that can make quitting vaping difficult. According to Public Health Wales, it provides personalised quit planning, practical tools to manage cravings, support to reduce nicotine strength and vaping frequency, and help in understanding nicotine dependence.

What Does the New NHS Wales App Module Offer?

The Help Me Quit app module allows users to work towards becoming vape-free at their own pace. It includes tools for setting goals, monitoring progress and identifying the routines or triggers linked to vaping.

Public Health Wales says the module also helps users understand their nicotine dependence and find further support where needed. The service is free and available in both Welsh and English.

The launch is aimed primarily at adults aged 18 and over. Action on Smoking and Health Wales (ASH Wales) reported that the resources are intended for people seeking help with nicotine use, rather than as a message that everyone who vapes should stop immediately.

Why Has NHS Wales Launched Vaping Support Now?

The launch took place on 29 October 2026, the same day new Welsh laws extended restrictions on the sale and promotion of vaping and non-medicinal nicotine products.

Under the changes, the existing ban on selling vapes to people under 18 has been extended to nicotine-free vapes and nicotine products such as pouches. The rules also prohibit promotional giveaways and substantial promotional discounts on these products.

As reported by uk/local/wrexham/">Wrexham.com, the new measures are intended to reduce children’s and young people’s access to vaping and nicotine products, while limiting marketing practices that may appeal to them.

What Has Public Health Wales Said?

Mary-Ann McKibben, Consultant in Public Health for Public Health Wales, said vaping had helped many people in Wales stop smoking and remain smoke-free.

“For those individuals, our priority is to reduce the risk of relapse back to smoking,” she said, as quoted by Public Health Wales.

She added that the new vaping module provides “a practical, evidence-based and proportionate response” and helps people understand their nicotine use, make informed decisions, and reduce or stop vaping at a pace suitable for them.

McKibben also said Public Health Wales was hearing from increasing numbers of adults who would like support to become completely nicotine-free.

Public Health Wales maintains that vaping remains substantially less harmful than smoking. It says staying smoke-free should remain the priority for anyone who has used a vape to stop smoking.

What Has the Welsh Government Said?

Nerys Evans, Deputy Minister for Public and Preventative Health, said help and support is available to anyone looking to cut down or quit vaping, and described the new Help Me Quit app module as an important part of that support.

“The new laws coming into force are an important step in protecting children and young people’s health and wellbeing,” she said, according to Public Health Wales.

Evans said that by preventing under-18s from accessing vaping and nicotine products and restricting free giveaways and discounts, the Welsh Government aims to give children and young people “a better chance to grow up healthier and free from nicotine addiction”.

She added that these steps would help protect the health of people across Wales “today and for generations to come”.

What Other Resources Have Been Launched?

Alongside the app module, Public Health Wales has introduced additional bilingual resources for people who want to become vape-free.

These include:

• Your Quit Plan, an online tool to help people set goals and plan how to stop.
• Passport to Vape Free, which offers advice on managing cravings and quitting gradually or in one step.
• Vape Taper Tracker, which helps people monitor vaping, identify triggers and track progress.

Public Health Wales says people can use these resources independently or alongside local Help Me Quit support where available. The approach recognises that people vape for different reasons and may need different levels of assistance.

ASH Wales noted that the launch introduces a national set of resources, but is not a new nationally commissioned vaping treatment pathway. It said access to additional behavioural support or treatment continues to depend on existing Help Me Quit services and local Health Board arrangements.

What Support Is Available for Young People?

Public Health Wales has also published new guidance for teachers, youth workers, school nursing teams and healthcare professionals who support young people who vape.

Two resources, Vape Wise and the Nicotine Dependence Guide, have been developed primarily for professionals working with young people aged 12 to 17. They provide practical advice on discussing vaping, recognising nicotine dependence and helping young people access appropriate support.

Public Health Wales says children and young people should not smoke or vape, and that people who do not smoke should not start vaping. It also says young people who have already developed nicotine dependence should be able to seek help without judgement through trusted adults, healthcare professionals or Help Me Quit resources.

How Can People Access Help Me Quit?

People seeking support can visit helpmequit.wales, download the Help Me Quit app, call 0800 085 2219, or text HMQ to 80818.

The app and associated resources are available in English and Welsh. ASH Wales said Welsh-language information is also available through Helpa Fi i Stopio.

Background of the Development

The new vaping module expands the existing Help Me Quit service, which was originally developed to support people in Wales to stop smoking. A free Help Me Quit app for smokers was launched earlier in 2026, offering personalised, evidence-based support in Welsh and English to people aged 16 and over.

The vaping launch followed a series of policy changes affecting nicotine products in Wales. A UK excise duty on vaping products came into force on 1 October 2026, while new restrictions on vape and nicotine sales, promotions and vending machines began on 29 October 2026. ASH Wales reported that smokefree-generation tobacco rules are due to follow in January.

Public Health Wales has said 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.

Prediction: How Could This Affect Vapers in Wales?

For adults in Wales who want to quit vaping, the development is likely to make self-directed support easier to access through a familiar NHS-backed digital service. Users may be able to reduce nicotine strength and vaping frequency gradually, rather than attempting an immediate quit without structured guidance.

For former smokers, the emphasis on staying smoke-free may encourage a cautious approach: reducing vaping where appropriate, while avoiding a return to cigarettes. Public Health Wales has made clear that vaping remains substantially less harmful than smoking.

For young people, the new professional guidance may lead to more informed conversations in schools and healthcare settings. Teachers, youth workers, school nurses and healthcare professionals now have dedicated resources to recognise nicotine dependence and signpost young people to support.

For retailers, the new sales and promotion restrictions may require changes to how vaping and nicotine products are marketed, particularly in relation to under-18 sales, giveaways and substantial discounts. For families and communities, the combined measures may make nicotine products less visible and less accessible to children, while providing a clearer route to help for those already dependent.