IBVTA welcomes new NICE draft guidance

The IBVTA welcomes recommendations in the latest draft NICE guidance to reduce the health burden of smoking, which has been issued for consultation today. NICE worked with Public Health England to draft the guidelines, which will be out for consultation until 6 August this year.

The draft guidelines, ‘’Tobacco: preventing uptake, promoting quitting and treating dependence’’ contain a number of specifics on e-cigarettes, including advice that that healthcare professionals should:

• give clear and up-to-date information on e-cigarettes to people who are interested in using them to stop smoking
• explain that use of e-cigarettes is likely to be substantially less harmful than smoking and that people using e-cigarettes should stop smoking tobacco completely
• show people how to use them
• discuss the importance of getting enough nicotine to overcome withdrawal symptoms, and explain how to get enough nicotine
• advise that those using vaping in a quit attempt should be using them for long enough to prevent a return to smoking

NICE use committees of experts to develop essential guides for key groups including GPs, local government, public health professionals, and social care professionals. Their new draft recommendations on e-cigarettes for smoking cessation and harm reduction are part of a revision and consolidation of previous advice. They present the facts about e-cigarettes with greater clarity and more open advocacy than any guidance that NICE has previously issued.   

Gillian Golden, IBVTA CEO, said: “Vaping is the UK’s most popular and effective tool used to quit. We know that currently, there are inconsistencies with the advice smokers are likely to encounter from health professionals as to whether to try an e-cigarette. This advice, if finalised, should go some way to ensuring that smokers get all the information they need to make an informed choice to make the switch.”