The World Vapers’ Alliance has welcomed news that the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended that people should be able to use e-cigarettes to help them quit smoking.

The draft new guidelines on how to effectively help smokers to quit, state that:

• “nicotine-containing e-cigarettes can help people to stop smoking and are similarly effective to other cessation options” and
• “people should be able to use e-cigarettes as one of several options to support smoking cessation, if they so choose.”

Michael Landl, Director of the World Vapers’ Alliance, commented on the guidelines:

“Once more the UK is setting an example for the world on how to effectively and pragmatically help smokers to quit. The UK authorities are following the evidence and supporting a tool that actually works. They are supporting smokers to switch to vaping.”

In the UK, Public Health England, also an agency of the Ministry of Health, is actively recommending smokers to switch to e-cigarettes. “Due to this proactive approach, the UK sees better results in reducing smoking compared to countries where vaping is restricted” Landl continued. “The UK’s successful public health and vaping policies should be followed by other countries around the world”.

Research shows that with such laws which facilitate and encourage vaping as a means to quit smoking, could help nearly 200 million current smokers switch to vaping – a 95% less harmful alternative.

“The UK is the beacon of hope for sensible public health policy when it comes to the fight against smoking. Instead of continuing their ideological fight against vaping, governments and the WHO should follow the science and listen to the millions of vapers who successfully quit. Fortunately, the UK is leading the way,” concluded Michael Landl.

Later this year the global COP 9 conference will set the direction for tobacco control policies – including vaping- worldwide. Millions of vapers and current smokers are hoping that the decision makers will follow the British example to encourage smokers to switch, and guarantee access and affordability of vaping products.