The NHS plans a big-scale rollout of an anti smoking pill that could help nearly 100k patients break their habit each year (the medication works by changing how nicotine affects brain cells)
The drug varenicline - which comes back after its previous version was pulled from market bout 3 years ago - blocks nicotine effects and helps with withdrawal issues; making it easier to avoid lighting up that next cigarette. Amanda Pritchard‚ NHS chief exec calls this medicine a game-changer in smoking prevention
People can get the 12-week treatment right now thru their local GP or stop-smoking service: its cheaper than the old version which cost £164 per treatment. Health experts say this pill - combined with behavior support - helps 1 in 4 people stay smoke-free for at least half-year
The timing matches with governments new Tobacco and Vapes Bill which aims to create smoke-free future. Here are the bills main points:
- Nobody born after 2009 can legally buy tobacco
- New limits on vaping products
- Extended no-smoking areas outside hospitals
- Restrictions in kids playgrounds
Recent data shows bout 6 million UK adults (11.9% of population) still smoke - Wes Streeting‚ Health Secretary points out that “prevention beats cure.“ NHS spends roughly £2.5 billion yearly treating smoking-related problems; making this initiative both health and cost-effective
Prevention is better than cure
Dr Sarah Jackson from UCL Tobacco Research confirms varenicline as one of the best tools for quitting‚ while Dr Ian Walker of Cancer Research UK notes that tobacco causes 160 cancer cases daily in UK