The British government on Friday opened the door to the possibility of prescribing e-cigarettes in the public health system for smokers wishing to quit tobacco in England.
According to the Department of Health, Britain may become the first country in the world to allow e-cigarettes to be prescribed as a medical device.
The ministry said in a statement that manufacturers can subject their products to the approval of the British Health Products Authority (MHRA) to follow the same path as drug manufacturers.
If approved, doctors will be able to "make decisions on a case-by-case basis as to whether it is appropriate to prescribe an electronic cigarette to patients in order to help them quit smoking."
Although e-cigarettes "contain nicotine and are not without risks", the British government said that these products are less harmful than tobacco, based on British and American studies.
font-size: medium;">The Ministry of Health noted that medically approved e-cigarettes should undergo "more stringent" safety checks.
Smoking is the main cause of preventable premature death (about 64,000 deaths in England in 2019). Although the number of smokers has fallen to its lowest level, England still has 6.1 million smokers.
Boris Johnson's government stopped at the significant differences in smoking rates between rich regions and other regions, and included this initiative within the conservative prime minister's policy with the aim of "rebalancing" the country.
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