The United Kingdom has launched an innovative trial scheme in which hospitals are distributing electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) to patients as a means to help them stop smoking tobacco. The initiative is currently being tested at four hospitals in England and Edinburgh’s Royal Infirmary in Scotland.
The program provides vaping starter kits to patients after they have visited emergency wards. According to Professor Caitlin Notley, an expert in addiction sciences at the University of East Anglia, which is involved in the trials, research has shown that e-cigarettes can be effective tools for smoking cessation.
“We know from the latest evidence that e-cigarettes are now the most popular consumer choice for those who are deciding to switch from tobacco smoking,” said Notley. “Perhaps a really attractive option because they’re not necessarily a medical device, so people can go and buy them, they can try different strengths, different types, and find something that suits their needs.”
The trial aims to reach 1,000 participants, monitoring their progress at one-, three-, and six-month intervals. The UK government’s backing of e-cigarettes represents a significant step in the fight against tobacco-related illnesses. Data reviewed by Public Health England estimates that vaping is 95 percent less harmful than tobacco smoking.
With World No Tobacco Day on May 31, the initiative highlights ongoing efforts to reduce smoking rates. Every year, 78,000 people die from smoking in the UK, with many more living with serious illnesses. “If we can show that the intervention is effective at helping people to switch from smoking, then clearly there are important cost implications as well,” Notley noted. “A vape starter kit might cost around 20 pounds ($28), but the long-term savings for the health service in terms of not having to treat tobacco-related illness are potentially billions of pounds.”
If the trial proves successful, the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) could potentially provide e-cigarettes regularly. This development would be welcome news for businesses selling these products. John Garcia, manager of a vaping shop in south London, observed that most customers are existing smokers looking to kick the habit—a trend that has accelerated recently due to COVID-19.
“You get the nicotine content without inhaling all the toxins that are in a cigarette,” Garcia explained. “It’s better because it doesn’t ruin the teeth, they don’t get stains on their fingers, it doesn’t ruin your clothes or make them smell.”
However, as a relatively new industry, the long-term health implications of vaping remain unclear. “Most of the evidence we have at the moment comes from people who’ve switched from tobacco smoking, so any damage we might see may have already been caused by earlier tobacco smoking,” said Notley. There are also concerns about the addictiveness of vaping, but UK policymakers currently view e-cigarettes as a harm-reduction option preferable to traditional tobacco use.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
