Electronic cigarettes should be prescribed on the NHS, scientists have said, after evidence showed them to be far more effective in helping people to quit than over-the-counter nicotine patches, gum or willpower alone.
Researchers at University College London followed 5,863 smokers who were attempting to stop over five years. Those using e-cigarettes were 60 per cent more likely to succeed than those using other common methods. Only the little-used NHS Stop Smoking Service had better results.
The findings will be a boost to e-cigarette manufacturers, which have faced opposition from lobbyists for the pharmaceutical industry. Parts of the health lobby say the devices “normalise” smoking. Researchers said there was no evidence for this and urged the NHS to prescribe them once licensed, as expected in