1 week Ago By [email protected] (Neil Shaw, Robert Rowlands)
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info The NHS is set to introduce a new once-a-day pill that could be instrumental in helping tens of thousands quit smoking.
It could prevent thousands of deaths related to the habit each year, according to NHS England's chief executive Amanda Pritchard. She has called the medication a "game changer" ahead of a speech today, Tuesday, November 12. Varenicline, produced by Teva UK, is a generic version of the previously available branded drug Champix, which was pulled from shelves in 2021 due to an impurity.
The pill combats nicotine cravings and eases withdrawal symptoms such as irritability and sleep disturbances. It is most effective when paired with behavioural support, increasing cessation success to about one quarter of smokers for a duration of at least six months. The NHS forecasts it could help over 85,000 people each year to stop smoking within five years.
It could prevent up to 9,500 deaths resulting from smoking annually, officials believe. Amanda Pritchard will highlight during her speech at the NHS Providers' Annual Conference and Exhibition in Liverpool that "this simple, daily pill could be a game changer for people who want to quit smoking and is another vital step in shifting our NHS further towards prevention." Additionally, she will emphasise the severe public health threat posed by smoking, impacting not just lungs but also heart, blood, brain health and elevating the risk of cancer, diabetes, and stroke, reports Gloucestershire Live .
The Medicines Health and Regulatory Authority (MHRA) has given the green light to the revised version of Varenicline as being safe to use. Meanwhile, another drug named cytisine - it tricks the brain into thinking a cigarette has been smoked by latching onto the same receptors as nicotine - is under scrutiny by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Varenicline's deployment follows the introduction of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill in Parliament.
This new bill aims to raise the legal smoking age incrementally by barring anyone born after 1 January 2009 from purchasing tobacco products. It also brings in fresh restrictions on vaping, strengthens smoking bans indoors, and introduces them to certain outdoor areas such as the vicinity of hospitals and children's playgrounds. Last month's figures from the Office for National Statistics indicate a smoking rate of about 11.
9% among those aged 18 or over—totaling roughly six million individuals—in the UK in 2023. Ms Pritchard will announce: "Alongside supporting the Government's ambition to create the first smoke-free generation, we are giving current smokers the tools they need to quit – with proven treatment options like this, alongside specialist care, helping to save thousands of lives and the NHS millions of pounds in treatment costs." The forthcoming NHS 10-year strategy, expected to launch this spring, is set to place an extra emphasis on preventing sickness.
Secretary of Health Wes Streeting said: "Prevention is better than cure. "The rollout of this pill can save the NHS millions of pounds, save appointments to help other patients be seen faster, and save lives. Taken alongside our Tobacco and Vapes Bill, the Government and NHS are building a healthy society to help power a healthy economy.
" News about the reintroduction of varenicline has met with positive reactions from health charities and experts. Dr Sarah Jackson from the UCL Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group commented: "It is excellent news that varenicline is now available again in England." She added that "large evidence reviews have consistently found it to be one of the most effective treatments for helping people to stop smoking.
" Echoing her enthusiasm, Dr Ian Walker, Executive Director of Policy at Cancer Research UK remarked: "Along with funding for cessation services, making tools like this available will help more people stop smoking. Around 160 cases of cancer are caused by tobacco every day in the UK, so it's essential that action is taken to prevent people from smoking in the first place." Furthermore, Henry Gregg, the Director of External Affairs at Asthma + Lung UK stated: "While the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will protect younger generations from the harms caused by this deadly addiction, the hundreds of thousands of current smokers who want to give up must also be supported.
It is incredibly difficult to quit smoking without help.".
