E cigarettes on prescription

Nacky

I think this is a very bad decision given that nicotine patches are an effective alternative and don't affect others, I have lung issues and get breathless and my chest tightens near people smoking e-cigs. We don't know the effects on children (both from adults smoking and from teens trying it) and there must be times when people with Covid or ther viruses are blowing out vape. In my view e cigs should not be 'normalised' especially when there are better alternatives. Recent studies (including a Spanish one reported last week) show that while both ecigs and nicotine patches can decrease cigarette smoking many more people are still using ecigs after 6 months than those who used nicotine patch users.

Sorry to squash this argument but I'm allergic to nicotine patches. They leave a serious red burn which takes weeks to recover.

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Barmeyoldbat

My daughter, disabled and with learning difficulties smokes around 20 a day she lives on benefits and a very small private pension. I have for some time been trying to cut her down to 10 a day but what ever I do I have no luck. I manage all her money through POA as she is not capable. It has got to the point where smoking is unaffordable for her and just won’t change to vape or have help giving up smoking. So just how do you stop people smoking unless they want to and if they really wanted to they could buy their own vapes, I don’t believe the NHS should pay for It. I have solved the problem for my daughter and as hard as it may seem I have cut her off from being able to buy cigarettes.

I'm sorry Barmyoldbat "I have solved the problem for my daughter and as hard as it may seem I have cut her off from being able to buy cigarettes."

I actually think that is just awful! Poor lass, does she have much of a 'life' at all? No, she can't afford it, but she obviously bloody enjoyed it! What enjoyment does she get out of her life now with some extra money??

1/ The NHS have approved this on NICE (NHS) guidelines.
2/ I will take the guidelines of the medical services over people who are not involved or trained.
3/ They are 95% safe. The other 5% is for any unknown long term eventualities
4/ E-Vape is safe, providing you buy from legit bona fida companies.
5/ If your going to buy cheap trash ejuice from the pound shops you will get poor quality ejuice.
6/ Totally Eicked are the founders of E-Vape in the U.K. They have a clean toxin report available on there website.
7/ The reason the NHS are taking this on is to ensure people give up with the quality e-vape. Not the rubbish
8/ There is no tar in E-Vape. Tar is what is dangerous. Nicotine is addictive however it is not dangerous.
9/ Ejuice is vapour/steam.
10/ Yes I gave up 10 years ago with them. When my husband passed three years ago I got my E-Vape out of the draw as I didn't want to start smoking again.
11/ They save money on smoking on the NHS
12/ If you have never smoked or you have given up without support of nicotine replacement well done. However it's better people use this method than continue to smoke

I hadn’t heard this, but no, they should not be on prescription. People chose to smoke these, they are just as revolting as cigarettes. Money is better spent elsewhere in the NHS on illnesses that are not self inflicted.

I always found the non smokers ended up coming outside for a chat anyway.

Not that I go to pubs much these days but I think banning smoking in pubs was a game changer. Having said that, when we used to holiday in Ireland (they banned smoking in pubs before we did) we had some great conversations with strangers as we were stood outside having a cigarette.

Thanks Jaxjacky and MayBee70 - just glad we have managed to stay quit this time, don't even miss cigarettes after a drink - plus my sense of taste and smell has improved (not always a good thing lol - cheap tomato soup no longer tastes like Heinz unfortunately).

I didn't mention peer pressure anywhere. It was my choice to smoke no one put a gun to my head but I agree with MadeinYorkshires comments.
You don't have to justify why you don't drink - I didn't ask - and I don't have to justify why I enjoy smoking. My point was there are worse things and I believe alcohol is one of them.
I notice you didn't comment on the fact us smokers contribute a large amount in tax which would need to be found somewhere if everyone stopped tomorrow.

Sharina

Working in a pharmacy for many years, we saw that people used the nicotine replacement products to cut back the cost of their cigarettes. They couldn’t afford their addiction to cigarettes and used the nhs smoking cessation service to cut back, with no real interest in stopping smoking. There always was a time limit and I hope that time wasters won’t be tolerated.

I used Nicorette gum and I stopped smoking but I did use it for about seven years! I really wouldn’t see the point of smoking and using a smoking cessation product at the same time

Perhaps it doesn’t have to be a binary choice. Maybe vaping stuff could be on prescription for say 6 months or a year then withdrawn. After that push off from the dock it would be up to the individuals concerned whether to continue with vaping.

Jaxjacky

Well done to both of you Saetana sometimes it just clicks.

Seconded!

Research from US and other countries (eg the recent Spanish study which looked at smoking cessation over time) does show significant disadvantages with e-cigs as well as a lack of knowledge of possible long term effects. People who use them to stop or reduce cigarette smoking are more likely to stay using them than those who use nicotine patches. That is proven. I was shocked a few years ago when I looked at the links between health decision makers in UK and the makers of e-cigarettes in terms of funding and consultancies. May have changed now but it was marked in the days of PHE. By the way, congratulations to those posters who have succeeded in giving up smoking however they did it. Personally I have no problem with NHS funding but wish they would follow the evidence - most successful help is nicotine replacement together with group support.

Well done to both of you Saetana sometimes it just clicks.

Okay I really need to say something to those who are objecting to spending money on smokers! Do you have any idea how much tax we have all paid on our cigarettes over the decades? More than enough to fund our treatment to stop - so the holier than thou types can knock it off with their penny pinching!

We finally managed to give up smoking after 30+ years a few months ago - we used Champix (on prescription) and willpower basically. My husband has COPD and it was essential we stopped - mind you this was the last of a number of attempts to stop over the last decade. We did not want to try vaping because of the continued nicotine addiction, plus vaping has some health issues of its own - albeit not as bad as smoking. I have no idea why we managed to stop this time after so many failures - it seemed so easy compared to previous attempts. I agree with ecigarettes on prescription - but only for those who have already tried and exhausted existing routes and products for smoking cessation.

The cost of smoking to the UK Government is approximately £12.6 billion a year, made up of £1.4 billion spent on social care for smoking related care needs, £2.5 billion spent on NHS services and £8.6 billion of lost productivity in businesses*.
In 2020/21, tobacco duty tax receipts in the United Kingdom amounted to approximately 9.96 billion British pounds, compared with 9.29 billion pounds in the previous financial year.29 Apr 2021
I can't verify the top quote it comes from the one small step website. However, it still makes sense to help smokers to stop smoking despite them paying billions into the public purse.

I have had high blood pressure since briefly going on the pill at twenty three. I paid for my prescriptions until I was sixty.
I was not much of a drinker and always fit never overweight and very active. I deliberately have a healthy and balanced diet because of family health issues.
I stupidly smoked when young but gave up when trying to get pregnant with my first child. I watched my dads health decline because of heavy smoking I was glad I stopped smoking.
I still eat a balanced diet I like wine in moderation. I make my own choice everyone has that a choice. I do not expect anyone including the NHS to pay for it. What will be next I wonder prescriptions for two for one junk food.

songstress60

I am furious because essential drugs have been taken off the NICE list yet we pander to smokers. Waste of NHS resources and an insult to tax payers. Smoking is a lifestyle choice. If you can afford to smoke you can afford to vape. I am a clean living person who goes to the gymn, doesn't drink, walks alot rather than use their car, but until I retired I had to pay for my asthma meds! I resent this move terribly. Pandering to people who bring their illness on with their lifestyle.

So do I. I also paid for all my asthma meds until I retired.

Hetty58

MadeInYorkshire, at last, reassurance that there's at least one normal human being on here (warts and all) among the paragons of virtue who seek to deny any assistance to the 'feckless' poor!

Of course, they may have other addictions (alcohol, food, medication etc.) that simply don't count.

Not only theˋfeckless poor‘ as you describe them, but people well able to finance £20 a month for vaping. In fact all those you describe should be able to afford it too, certainly cheaper than £13 pounds for a packet of ciggies. If people don’t want to stop smoking no one can force them. Not illegal, although very unpleasant.

Alcoholics get a prescription; Drug addicts get a prescription and indeed smokers can get a prescription for anything with nicotine in bar e-cigarettess. Smokers cost the NHS a lot of time and money.

Many opinions, personally I gave up smoking by using a vape, now don't use that either.
Do I wish I had never started smoking 45 years ago? Yes of course I do.
I can understand many of the different opinions here, and the annoyance of the cost to NHS, unfortunately also have read that the number of people beginning to smoke during covid restrictions is high.
Such a backward step.

As for the dig about me not drinking, you have no idea of my reasons for that. FYI, I can't drink alcohol - for medical reasons, not that I should have to justify it to you or anyone else.

But that's what you have been doing to me, because of my choice. I have every right to choose to do what I do and so do you, but I am getting your opinion thrown at me? I also don't drink for medical reasons and I do not have to justify myself to you nor anyone else either!

You are basically very patronising to people who don't agree with you!

MadeInYorkshire, at last, reassurance that there's at least one normal human being on here (warts and all) among the paragons of virtue who seek to deny any assistance to the 'feckless' poor!

Of course, they may have other addictions (alcohol, food, medication etc.) that simply don't count.