Smokers will be able to get e-cigarettes on prescription. This is the UK government's next step to reduce smoking in the country.
"The possibility to get certain e-cigarettes on prescription can help smokers understand relative risks, but also attract those who otherwise cannot afford to try e-cigarettes" says Linda Bauld, Professor of Public Health.
Vaping has become the most popular aid among smokers trying to quit in England. 30% of those who tried to quit smoking in 2020 used e-cigarettes, compared to 20% who used other nicotine replacement products. This is according to the UK government in press release.
"Having a medically licensed e-cigarette available for prescription is a step in the right direction. Any action by the Medicines Agency to make that a realistic possibility is a good thing." says John Britton, doctor and former head of tobacco issues at British Medical Association, to Science Media Center.
Millions of vejpare completely smoke-free
E-cigarettes and e-liquids are currently regulated consumer goods and doctors have only been able to recommend e-cigarettes to smokers, not prescribe them.
Statistics from the country's state-funded stop-smoking centers show that nearly seventy percent of clients who used e-cigarettes had quit smoking completely in the years 2020 to 2021. According to the organization ASH (Action on Smoking and Health), nearly two-thirds of the country's 3.6 million 1TP8 smokers quit smoking completely.
Leveling out class differences
At the same time, 14% of the population still smokes. And the gap between rich and poor is wide when it comes to smoking. Up to 24% smoke in typical working class areas compared to 8% in more affluent neighborhoods. The UK government hopes to change this, by encouraging companies to apply for medical approval for any of their products. Something that has been possible for a long time, but which no one has chosen to do.
"The ability to prescribe e-cigarettes on prescription could open the door to leveling the playing field when it comes to smoking. Britons should have the same opportunities to quit smoking, wherever they live" said Minister for Health Sajid Javid in a press release.
"One in three smokers has not tested"
Health scientists and researchers in the field of tobacco and harm reduction have mixed feelings about the announcement.
"While there is good evidence that e-cigarettes in the form of consumer products can help smokers quit, we also know that one in three smokers in the UK have not even tried an e-cigarette," says Linda Bauld, Professor of Public Health at the University of Edinburgh.
Can boost confidence in e-cigarettes
Linda Bauld, a long-time campaigner to make e-cigarettes safer and more accessible to smokers in England, believes that the ability to get an e-cigarette on prescription can boost confidence in vejpning as a safe smoking cessation tool.
"Smokers worry about how safe e-cigarettes really are. And there are gross misconceptions about the relative risks of e-cigarettes compared to tobacco... A medically approved product can act as a safeguard for some. At the same time, even those who don't feel they can afford an e-cigarette will have the chance to test the technology" says Linda Bauld to CNN.
Not only positive
But the proposal is also receiving some criticism from other health scientists. Robert West, professor of health psychology, has, like Linda Bauld is committed to making e-cigarettes more accessible. And he says that prescription e-cigarettes are not all good.
"It has been possible in the past for e-cigarette manufacturers to seek medical approval for their products. However, none have done so. This is likely due to the high costs involved," says Robert West.
Only tobacco companies that can afford it
Robert West argues that prescription e-cigarettes are more likely to hamper development.
"Smokers already have access to safe and effective e-cigarettes without a prescription. The risk is that only companies with huge assets will succeed in getting a product approved as a medicine. It is likely that only the big tobacco companies that can withstand such a process. And since tobacco companies' vejp products are generally quite ineffective in smoking cessation, we risk a situation where mediocre products are approved and the best ones are not." says Robert West to the Science Media Center.
Prescription e-liquid nothing new
The call from the UK Department of Health could lead to the UK becoming the first country in the world to have a medically tested e-cigarette on the market. In contrast, in several other countries, including Sweden, authorities have tried to have nicotine-containing e-liquid classified as a medicine, under pressure from pharmaceutical companies. In Australia since October 2021, all nicotine-containing e-liquid is illegal to sell or import without a doctor's prescription.
