Pharmacies in the Trafford area in Greater Manchester are to provide free vaping starter kits to smokers as part of a new trial.

The trial, which will run until the end of March, will see people who enrol at a participating pharmacy given a four week e-cigarette kit and a consultation with a stop smoking advisor. Adults over 18 who smoke and are not pregnant are eligible for the trial.

The health commissioners behind the initiative, which is being backed by Trafford Council, hope it will improve the health of local residents, the Manchester Evening News reports.

Ben Fryer, public health registrar at Trafford Council, said: “While e-cigarettes contain nicotine, just like traditional nicotine patches and gums, they don’t produce the cancer-causing carcinogens that are produced by burning tobacco.

“As a result, Public Health England estimates that e-cigarettes are 95 per cent safer than tobacco.”

The programme is open until the end of March 2019 at the following pharmacies: Broomwood Pharmacy, Timperley; Limelight Pharmacy, Old Trafford; Davey’s Chemist, Partington; Malcolm’s Pharmacy, Urmston; Hollowood Chemist, Sale; and Harry’s Pharmacy, Stretford.