E-cigarettes get seal of approval from government health agency

By Éilis Cronin in Industry News 1st November 2021

E-cigarette sales could get a long term boost after a government agency approved the idea that they could be licensed as a medicine for those trying to quit tobacco.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), has announced that e-cigarette brands could be licensed as a medicinal product if they meet standards on safety, quality and efficacy.

Dr June Raine, chief executive of the MHRA, said: “The evidence is clear that e-cigarettes are less harmful to health than smoking tobacco and that nicotine-containing e-cigarettes can help people quite smoking for good.

“The updated guidance on licensing requirements we have published today is a strong first step towards the availability of safe and licensed e-cigarettes.”

The MHRA’s move follows the acknowledgement in the Department of Health and Social Care’s 2017 Tobacco Control Plan that the evidence is clear that e-cigarettes are less harmful than smoking tobacco.