EU UK - change in status for anti-smoking aids (Financial Times)

[Oliver]

A major shift in the government’s anti-smoking policy has been quietly announced, allowing nicotine products to be sold as a long-term substitute for smoking, not just as an aid to quitting.
The announcement acknowledges that some smokers are nicotine junkies, who find it close to impossible to give up the addictive element in cigarettes.

Read the rest here: FT.com / UK / Politics & policy - Shift in status for anti-smoking aids


Thanks to member fumhra for alerting me.


I'd guess this relates to the pledge by NICE to support harm reduction strategies as Bill Godshall noted here: http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/fo...-uk-first-embrace-tobacco-harm-reduction.html


No mention of e-cigarettes, obviously - we're simply not being considered in this approach.

 

[Momof3]

I must admit I'm clueless as to the different organizations and such you all are dealing with and how they interact.

From Bill's previous posting, ecigs were briefly mentioned and if I remember correctly dismissed. (I can't get it to open anymore so I apologize if I'm not remembering correctly.) I'm not sure about NICE's actual stance, but the first link Bill had posted was the Department of Health's new tobacco Control Strategy. Some of what I read in it was pretty frightening stuff IMO. The above release has a nice title and reads well, but it doesn't quite translate for me with the new tobacco Control Strategy. It just feels like a nice spin.

I got the impression that from the govt standpoint they will go to the extreme to get people off tobacco and nic. Including revamped demonizing, even finding ways to root out the smokers personally and target them at their homes. They seem more determined to get everyone and only in extreme cases they'll allow for the gum, patches and lozenges, but they aren't really encouraging it.

How exactly do NICE and the DOH work? Would it be similar to say our DOH and the NAHP? (National Assoc of Health Prof. ?) NICE making a recommendation, but no real power to do or necessarily influence anything?

 

[rothenbj]

SJ, I see a common direction here. If you read the third page of the "Foulds says" thread started by Elaine it appears we have a unified effort to move beyond NRT into the world of harm reduction. This initiative will be lead by BP and supported by national Drug agencies with the full support of all the acronym health organizations that are looking out for our well being.

Harm reduction is out there, already approved. It's just been considered a short term therapy in the past. We'll soon see J&J being approved to OTC their inhalator OTC to be used in conjunction with flavored gum and lozenges on a long term basis to combat the inability of "some people" (translated to 90% +) not being able to quit using traditional NRT treatments. For the really hard core, they may even add a scripted, short term aid, like Chantix, to get over the initial hump.

These are already proven, approved safe products that fit well in our drug agencies portfolio. I'm sure that ASH and other such protectors would agree whole heartedly. In this scenario, there really is no need to consider any unapproved, unregulated alternatives that duplicate the effort.

Anyone ever hear of Phen-fen? There was never approved any drug by that name.