Vaping firms Innokin and Vape Dinner Lady have announced a partnership with Simon Community Scotland, a homelessness community outreach charity based in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
The firms will donate two hundred MVP Pod kits and four hundred bottles of e-liquid in a bid to help vulnerable smokers quit the habit. In the UK, smoking prevalence is estimated at 78 per cent amongst homeless adults, compared to 13.8 per cent in the general population.
Simon Community Scotland will distribute pod kits and e-liquid bottles to smokers who otherwise would not have access to vaping products or would not have the necessary support network to start a transition from combustible tobacco.
The charity offers its services across Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Central Scotland, with street outreach teams working to provide accommodation and housing support to people who are sleeping rough or are at risk of becoming homeless.
Both firms said they aim to gather feedback from the initial donation, which will help gain an understanding of the specific challenges of the initiative and make further donations in the future, adding that they hope this would be the start of a long-term project that reaches vulnerable smokers across the UK.
“Innokin’s mission has always been to help people improve their lives and offer less harmful alternatives to adult smokers. Many smokers in the UK don't know how or can't afford to switch from smoking to vaping. Partnering with Vape Dinner Lady and a charity like Simon Scotland gives us the opportunity to make a real positive impact,” George Xia, Innokin co-founder, said.
John Taylor, Dinner Lady chief marketing officer, added: “This is our first collaboration with Innokin and we are delighted to be supporting Simon Community Scotland in this way.
“In the UK more than two thirds of homeless adults smoke and lack the necessary support network to switch. Together with Innokin, Dinner Lady can help by providing the very best vaping products the market can offer.”
