Vape stores have opened in two NHS hospitals in the West Midlands to eradicate smoking.
Sandwell General Hospital in West Bromwich and Birmingham City Hospital, both run by Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust, have opened vape stores.
The store opens its doors while the NHS Trust tries to fight against smoking on its land. Starting on July 5th, people caught smoking in hospitals will be fined £ 50.
Police are even deploying security cameras to catch smokers on the spot.
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#ecigwizard proudly opened its doors at two new sites this weekend, the first of its kind & ndash; both located in the interior #SNHS Hospitals.#sandwell General Hospital & # 9989;#birmingham Municipal Hospital & # 9989;
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Electronic cigarettes will be allowed provided that they are blown, while the smoker's shelters have been turned into vaping zones.
Dr. David Carruthers, medical director of the trust, said the board of directors officials felt that it was absolutely necessary to remove passive smoking on their soil.
He said: "Every alternative is available and we are asking visitors and patients to work with us to implement these changes.
"Quitting smoking saves you money and your health."
This decision came several months after a leading British expert accused Public Health England (PHE) of ignoring the growing evidence about the harmful effects of e-cigarettes.
Professor Martin McKee of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said that the United Kingdom was "out of step" with other countries in terms of e-safety messages.
He said San Francisco's decision in June to become the first major US city to ban the sale of electronic cigarettes was "sensitive".
Professor McKee stated that e-cigarettes should not be promoted as smoking aids without increased awareness of the effects of inhaling nicotine and flavored chemicals.
"When we look at the evidence we have, there is enough reason to be seriously concerned," he told PA in April.
"Nicotine in electronic cigarettes is not a harmless drug and that's where all these things are, like the aromas that are inhaled.
"We have not had enough e-cigarettes for long enough to know the real effects.
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"But when we look at the evidence we have, there is enough reason to seriously worry."
PHE has campaigned for smokers to adopt e-cigarettes on the grounds that they are 95% less harmful than tobacco products – a figure controversial by Professor McKee.
Joe Lucas, head of retail sales at Ecigwizard, said his company was "incredibly happy" to support the no smoking status of trust.
"We want to offer vaping as an alternative to smoking, to help people reduce their consumption or quit," he added.
The consumption of electronic cigarettes continues to increase, with 6.3% of British adults who were out of breath in 2018, compared to 5.5% the previous year, according to figures analyzed by NHS Digital at the beginning of the month.
Just over half (51.5%) of these people said it was to help them stop smoking.
