Fresh statement in response to MHRA enhanced guidance on medical licensing for e-cigs
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) updated guidance for e-cigarette firms seeking a medicinal licence for their products has been published today (Friday 29 October 2021).
E-cigarettes are a step closer to being prescribed on the NHS for the first time as the MHRA has said -cigarette manufacturers can now submit their products to go through the same regulatory approvals process as other medicines available via the health service.
Fresh along with other health leaders, clinicians and tobacco experts welcome the decision as e-cigarettes are less harmful than smoking.
Ailsa Rutter OBE Director of Fresh and Balance said:
“We welcome this announcement from the MHRA and it is important that we continue to do everything to encourage smokers to quit and to get off lethal combustible tobacco products.
Sadly, we know that in the North East 15 people will die today from avoidable smoking related illness, nearly all of them started in childhood, and it costs the NHS in the region at least £132miillion each year to treat smoking related illness like the 16 cancers, heart disease, stroke and COPD caused by tobacco smoking.
“Health care professionals have a key role to play in sending clear messages to their patients of the benefits of quitting and that switching over totally to e-cigarettes is much less harmful for their health. The last thing we want to see is patients continuing to smoke because of hesitancy around switching to vaping.
“Whilst we welcome this announcement it is important to stress that this is no magic solution either to end smoking and that the Government must take tougher action including a polluter pays levy on the tobacco manufacturers to help to fund programmes to help smokers quit and prevent young people from taking up smoking. They also need to raise the age of sale of tobacco products from 18 to 21 and implement all of the key recommendations set out in the APPG on Smoking report on a Smokefree 2030. It is vital we need to act now to make smoking history for more children in the future.”
ENDS
References:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/licensing-procedure-for-electronic-cigarettes-as-medicines