In England, e-cigarettes may soon be prescribed by the NHS to help patients quit smoking tobacco products. Manufacturers are invited to submit goods for approval to be prescribed by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency. It's possible that England will be the first country in the world to allow e-cigarettes to be prescribed as a medical product.
E-cigarettes aren't fully risk-free, but they're far less dangerous than cigarettes. They don't create tar or carbon monoxide, which are two of the most dangerous components of tobacco smoke. Some potentially dangerous compounds are present in the liquid and vapor, albeit at far lower amounts than in cigarette smoke. E-cigarettes, according to Health Secretary Sajid Javid, might be a key tool for reducing smoking rates.
They have not, however, been offered on prescription outside of a few test programs. Approximately 3.6 million people, the majority of whom are ex-smokers, use e-cigarettes. In England, about 64,000 individuals died as a result of smoking in 2019.