AYR and Troon residents are being urged to stop smoking with more help being offered from a local vaping service.

VPZ launches Stop-tober this month in a bid to cut back on cigarettes and help people’s health and wellbeing.

The action comes on the back of reduced funding in South Ayrshire that cuts money spent on stop-smoking services in the area.

VPZ on Alloway Street in Ayr and Portland Street in Troon have launched a support service for smokers as part of a nationwide aim to help a quarter of a million Brits make the switch to vaping during the next 12 months.

They have stepped in to help educate smokers about how they can join the other millions of smokers who have already quit smoking by switching to vaping by helping them track their journey to becoming cigarette free.

Smokers participating in the support scheme will also be offered a 30-day money back guarantee on their starter kit.

Doug Mutter, Director, at VPZ, said: “At a time when people throughout the UK are having less access to local stop smoking services, we are investing so we can help tackle this problem and improve the health of the community here in Ayr and Troon and across the nation.”

The stores will be equipped with a carbon monoxide testing monitor, free to use, allowing customers to regularly track their journey to becoming cigarette free.

VPZ has announced the launch of the service as mounting evidence shows that vaping could become a key weapon in the NHS’s stop smoking strategy.

Doug added: “Smokers will be able to come into our stores, receive advice from our educational staff and have access to the best starter kit on the market.”