Electronic cigarettes are to be licensed and regulated as an aid to quit smoking from 2016.

E-cigarettes (battery-operated devices that mimic cigarettes) are to be classed as ‘medicines’, which means they will face stringent checks by the MHRA, the government’s medicine regulator. It also means doctors will be able to prescribe them to smokers to help them cut down or quit.

Tighter regulation has been welcomed by medical experts and officials, as it will ensure that these products are safe and effective.

For further information please visit: https://www.nhs.uk/news/2013/06June/Pages/e-cigarettes-and-vaping.aspx