The NHS is to start offering an “improved” quit smoking pill to thousands of people in England who want to quit cigarettes.

NHS England says varenicline, a daily pill given for a few months, is as effective as vapes and more effective than nicotine replacement gum or patches.

The drug, which fights cravings, was available on the NHS a few years ago under the brand name Champix, but was withdrawn due to some impurities. The new version has been considered safe.

e cigaretteMeanwhile, officials said, “occasionally” a starter kit of around two weeks’ worth of vapes will be offered by local NHS stop smoking services.

Varenicline is a prescription-only medicine, meaning people can’t buy it over the counter in a pharmacy or supermarket and instead have to see their GP or an NHS stop smoking service to get it.

It works by reducing nicotine cravings and blocking its effects on the brain, while also helping with withdrawal symptoms, such as feeling irritable or having difficulty sleeping.

NHS England said that when used with behavioral support such as counselling, it helps up to one in four people to stop smoking for at least six months.

It says it could help more than 85,000 people stop smoking every year Nearly 9,500 deaths caused by smoking could be prevented over the next five years, According to research by University College London,

Around one in eight adults – six million people in the UK – are smokers.

There were more than 400,000 smoking-related hospital admissions in England last year.

Every year the NHS spends around £2.5 billion treating the health problems caused by smoking – it is the leading cause of preventable disease and death.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “The rollout of this pill could save the NHS millions of pounds, save appointments to help other patients get seen faster and save lives. “

As e-cigarettes are not licensed as medicines, GPs are unable to prescribe vapes to people trying to quit smoking, unless there is a locally agreed NHS plan to do so.

Some local authorities offer vapes to smokers who wish to quit smoking.

guidance People are advised to try a licensed smoking cessation medication first, although vapes are a recognized smoking cessation medication.

Vaping is not as harmful as smoking cigarettes.

However, it is not completely risk-free and health experts agree that people should not start vaping any further than they have quit smoking.

Hazel Cheesman, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, said access to services is variable.

She said: “No matter where a smoker lives, they should be able to access the most effective forms of treatment to help them stop.

“Improving access to varenicline would be a positive step to help prevent thousands of deaths caused by smoking. However, one drug alone will not change smoking rates. Services are needed to support smokers and prescribe these products.

“The NHS has done good work in setting up support in hospital to help people quit smoking, which complements the services provided in the community.

“But shortages remain across the country, with services often at risk as local NHS organizations try to balance the books.”

Professor Nick Hopkinson, professor of respiratory medicine at Imperial College London, said that varenicline was “the most effective smoking cessation drug”.

The fact that it has not been available for the last few years is a “real problem”, he said: “We know that quitting smoking is the best thing any smoker can do for their health and the health of those around them.” What we can do to improve them, especially children and youth.

“People are most likely to quit successfully if they have a combination of counseling support and medication to help relieve cravings and break their tobacco dependence.”

He said people can get help online nhs smoke free And they should ask their healthcare provider about varenicline, “especially if they have not been able to successfully quit using other medications such as nicotine patches or gum in the past”.