E-cigarettes could be prescribed on the NHS in England to help people stop smoking, the government has announced.
The move would see England become the first country in the world to prescribe e-cigarettes as a licensed medicine.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) will publish updated guidance that paves the way for medicinally licensed e-cigarette products to be prescribed for tobacco smokers who wish to quit smoking.
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E-cigarette manufacturers will be able to submit their products to go through the regulatory approvals process that all medicines available on the health service must go through.
Health secretary Sajid Javid has welcomed the latest step forward in the licensing process for manufacturers.
The Cabinet minister 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.”
E-cigarettes were the most popular aid used by smokers trying to quit in England in 2020, and they have been shown to be highly effective in supporting those trying to quit, the Department of Health said.
E-cigarettes contain nicotine and are not risk-free, but expert reviews from the UK and US have shown that they are less harmful than smoking, the department said.
If a product receives MHRA approval, it would then be up to clinicians to decide on a case-by-case basis whether it would be appropriate to prescribe an e-cigarette to a patient.
Smoking rates are at record low levels in the UK, but there are still understood to be around 6.1 million smokers in England alone.
There are also stark differences in rates across the country, with smoking rates in Blackpool (23.4 per cent) and Kingston upon Hull (22.2 per cent) poles apart from rates in wealthier areas such as Richmond upon Thames (8 per cent), according to the government.
