The NHS May Make E-Cigarettes Available To Assist Reduce Smoking Rates.

This will make the UK the first country in the world to prescribe e-cigarettes as a medical device. There has been much debate much the years about whether e-cigarettes should be used for this purpose or not.

E-cigarettes are not completely risk-free, but they do carry a fraction of the risks of smoking. We do not produce tar and carbon monoxide, the two most harmful elements in tobacco smoke. Liquids heated for inhalation contain some of the harmful chemicals found in cigarette smoke but in much smaller amounts. 

Medically approved e-cigarettes must pass more stringent safety controls than those required for commercial sale.

E-cigarettes are the most popular drug used by smokers trying to quit and rely on them more than one in four smokers - more than those who use nicotine replacement therapy products such as patches or gum. However, apart from being used in several pilot projects, they do not require a prescription.

Nearly 64,000 people died from smoking in the UK in 2019. Health Minister Sajid Javid said e-cigarettes could be an essential tool in reducing smoking habits. "Opening the door to NHS-mandated licensed e-cigarettes has the potential to address huge differences in smoking rates across the country," he said.

However, Professor Peter Hayek, director of the division of tobacco research at the Queen Mary University of London, said the move sent a positive message that e-cigarettes could help people quit smoking. He questioned whether this would have the desired consequences as the cost of applying for approvals can be an obstacle for many manufacturers.

"Smokers are more likely to use e-cigarettes when they can choose their preferred taste, strength, and product rather than limiting themselves to what is licensed. "It also seems like the NHS doesn't have to pay for something smokers like to buy for themselves. "In general, it seems easier only to recommend existing products that are well regulated by consumer protection laws."