The First Country to License E-cigarettes as Medical Product for Smoking Cessation—UK

In the United Kingdom, there was a lot of talk about e-cigarettes on October 29th!

The UK government website GOV.UK has today updated the most recent vaping policy, which is absolutely inspiring!

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has issued updated guidance to pave the way for the prescription of medicinally licensed vaping products to smokers who want to quit.

The UK medical regulator will collaborate with e cigarette manufacturers to assess the products' safety and efficacy.

According to officials, the move supports the UK government's goal of becoming smoke-free by 2030 and reducing the stark health disparities in smoking rates.

In the United Kingdom, the NHS (National Health Service) can regulate the use of e-e-cigarettes to assist people in quitting smoking.

Sajid Javid, Minister for Health and Social Care, has welcomed the latest developments in the licensing process for e-cigarette manufacturers.

According to the announcement, e-cigarette e-cigarette manufacturers can contact the MHRA to submit their products for regulatory approval in the same way that other medicines provided by the health service are.

As a result, the United Kingdom may become the first country in the world to license e-cigarettes as a medical product.

It is unknown whether health services in Scotland and Wales will adopt England's vaping licensing policy.

If the product is approved by the MHRA, clinicians can decide whether it is appropriate to prescribe e-cigarettes to NHS patients to help them quit smoking on a case-by-case basis.

Nonsmokers and children, on the other hand, are strongly advised not to use e-cigarettes.

E-cigarettes contain nicotine and are not without risk, but expert reviews from the United Kingdom and the United States indicate that regulated e-cigarettes are less harmful than smoking, according to the statement. E-cigarettes approved for medical use must pass more stringent safety tests.

Smoking is still the leading preventable cause of premature death in the UK, and while smoking rates are at an all-time low, there are still approximately 6.1 million smokers in England. There are also significant differences in smoking rates across the country, with Blackpool (23.4%) and Kingston upon Hull (22.2%) far outperforming more affluent areas such as Richmond upon Thames (8%).

In England in 2020, e-cigarettes were the most commonly used aid for smokers attempting to quit smoking. E-cigarettes have been shown to be very effective for people attempting to quit smoking, with 27.2 percent of smokers using them compared to 18.2 percent using nicotine replacement therapy products such as patches and gum.

With a whopping 68 percent success rate in 2020-21, those using e-cigarette cessation and local smoking cessation services had some of the highest success rates among those attempting to quit smoking.

In England in 2019, nearly 64,000 people died as a result of smoking, and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) is supporting efforts to improve public health and ensure equal health outcomes for communities across the country.

Reducing health disparities, including smoking rates, and keeping people healthy for longer periods of time benefit individuals, families, society, the economy, and the NHS, according to the statement. To achieve this overarching goal, OHID will work with the NHS, academia, the third sector, scientists, researchers, and industry at the national, regional, and local levels, as well as with the NHS, academia, the third sector, scientists, researchers, and industry.

The UK government will soon release a new tobacco control plan that will set out a roadmap for a smoke-smoke-free England by 2030.