For the first time, doctors will be authorised to supply electronic cigarettes starter kits and cartridges for those looking to move away from tobacco, which could save at least 76,000 lives each year as a result of switching from traditional tobacco products to electronic alternatives.
Ministers have reportedly been keen to keep the decision quiet over fears that demand would outstrip supply and GPs would find themselves overrun. Public Health Minister Jane Ellison has said that the Government believes vaping to be ‘significantly less harmful than smoking’, and that they are encouraging medicinal license applications. The decision to prescribe e-cigarettes on the NHS is part of a move to bring about long-term saving within the health budget, with the treatment of smoking-related diseases currently costing the NHS an annual £2bn.
Around 26 million adults in Britain use electronic cigarettes, and the majority of these are smokers or ex-smokers looking for a quitting aid. This is the main reason for a huge increase in their use over the past few years, and their popularity is continuing to grow.
