Fresh statement on MHRA guidance on harm reduction and electronic cigarettes
Fresh welcomes the MHRA announcement today which confirms that electronic cigarettes and other nicotine containing products will be subject to a medicines licensing regulatory framework to ensure product safety and effectiveness. This should ensure that smokers have access to a range of proven nicotine containing products which should help them cut down on their levels of smoking, or quit altogether.
Recognising that smoked tobacco continues to kill around 4,000 North East people every year, we support the principles of reducing harm as people smoke for the nicotine but it is not the nicotine that kills people but the 4000 chemicals cocktail contained in tobacco smoke.
However we do have concerns about the current promotion and marketing of electronic cigarettes and potential that this could attract children and young people to actual smoking. This needs to be very closely monitored, and the decision announced today by MHRA will help support tighter controls around the way that electronic cigarettes are promoted and marketed.