NICE Guideline NG 92 Stop smoking interventions and services

[Fergmeister]

Not a great deal of new information in this one, but thought I’d post it anyway.

For those that don’t know, NICE are the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, who make evidence based guidelines that (for the most part) NHS services work towards.

Noticed that this one has a specific recommendation that smoking cessation services should advise those wishing to stop smoking that evidence suggests e-cigs are substantially less harmful to health than smoking, although not risk free.

The full guideline, along with details of the evidence base behind it, are available at https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng92

 

[the_atomic_fart]

They are still reluctant to fully advocate the use of ecigarettes as a cessation treatment but at least they are acknowledging it as an option.
Frustratingly, they are happy to prescribe Champix even though this drug can have serious side effects.
Let's face it, the big pharmaceutical companies aren't that much better than the tobacco industry when it comes to ethics.

 

[Fergmeister]

They are still reluctant to fully advocate the use of ecigarettes as a cessation treatment but at least they are acknowledging it as an option.
Frustratingly, they are happy to prescribe Champix even though this drug can have serious side effects.
Let's face it, the big pharmaceutical companies aren't that much better than the tobacco industry when it comes to ethics.

That’s the problem. It’s still a case of ‘it’s definitely better than smoking, but we don’t want to say they’re definitely fine’. It’s the same position they’ve held for a long while now, but it’s good that another national body related to health is at least acknowledging that they’re an option, and one that is probably better for you.

Hopefully it shouldn’t be that long until research bodies are happy that they have enough longitudinal data to start making more definitive statements. I suppose it’s unlikely that they will ever come out and say it’s fine though, so it’s likely that the likes of Champix will always be a preferred option.