Women, children will be allowed to use NRT to quit smoking |
|
|
|
Published
:
Fri, 30 Dec 2005 14:10
|
LONDON: Child smokers in Britain wanting to rid the habit will be offered nicotine patches and gum in the National Health Scheme, after a final review of the safety of these therapies, the department of health announced Thursday.
Children above 12 will be eligible for the nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) without parental consent and the health guidance will be changed to this effect to include the use of these products. Existing restrictions on the use of these products by those aged 12 to 18, pregnant and breast-feeding women and patients with heart, kidney or liver disease will be removed from the packs.
The committee on safety of medicines had found that there is an immediate need to help certain groups to give up smoking immediately and the suggestion is in the light of this finding. The committee said there is strong evidence to show that it is more harmful for groups such as children and pregnant women to continue smoking than use NRT products.
The proposed rules allow doctors and nurses to prescribe NRT to children without parental consent if they judge it unnecessary.
Health minister Jane Kennedy said the move targets new patient populations especially vulnerable to the effects of smoking and will give them the confidence they need to use NRT effectively. Around 26 per cent of all adults in the country are found to still smoke and the government has set a target to reduce the number of smokers by two million by 2010. It is estimated that one in 10 girls and one in 14 boys aged between 11 and 15 smoke regularly.
The department of health is working with the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency and the industry to make NRT available easily. This includes sale of the products at more number of places.
NRT has certain side effects like nausea, headache and dizziness, almost the same effects that can be caused by smoking. Some six NRT products are in the market in the country, which include a gum, a patch, a nasal spray and a tablet, dominated mostly by drug firms GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis and Pfizer.
Current research has shown that smokers are twice as likely to quit smoking by using NRT rather that mere will power and four times as likely if they combine it with support from the NHS Stop Smoking Services. However, experts are doubtful whether youngsters will buy NRT as a 10-week course as one of the main brands can cost nearly 160 pounds over the counter in Boots.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Print this Story
Study says smoking ban can yield £4 billion in savings annually 