E-cigarettes could soon be prescribed on NHS to help millions quit smoking

E-cigarettes will be prescribed on the NHS in plans to help millions of people quit smoking, the government has announced today.

The plan, which will see England become the first country in the world to prescribe E-cigarettes as licensed medication, will require E-cigarette manufacturers to submit their products through the regulatory approvals process that all medicines available on the health service must go through.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid has welcomed the proposal, pointing out that almost 64,000 people died due to smoking in 2019 and that the Government is determined to help people kick the habit.

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He said: “This country continues to be a global leader on healthcare, whether it’s our Covid-19 vaccine rollout saving lives or our innovative public health measures reducing people’s risk of serious illness.

“Opening the door to a licensed E-cigarette prescribed on the NHS has the potential to tackle the stark disparities in smoking rates across the country, helping people stop smoking wherever they live and whatever their background.”

While E-cigarettes contain nicotine and carry a number of health risks, they were the most popular aid used by smokers trying to quit in England in 2020, and have been shown to be highly effective in supporting those trying to quit, the Department of Health said.

The NHS also states that because E-cigarettes do not burn tobacco and do not produce tar or carbon monoxide, two of the most damaging elements in tobacco smoke, they are by far the healthier alternative to smoking.

However, the new plans have been met with mixed reactions by the British public, with the majority slamming the proposal altogether. One person wrote on Twitter: “#NHS how can you make E Cigarettes free on the NHS but not things like hormone therapy, women don’t ask for menopause, smokers made that decision.”

Another person, who has already used E-cigarettes as a way to stop smoking, pointed out that they aren’t a solution, writing: “Well, I am sitting here hopelessly addicted to nicotine replacement, having quit smoking over a year ago. With no subsidies and no warning, the nicotine therapy itself was addictive/dependence forming and had no access to support to wean off it.”