To help people quit smoking, the Minister of Health plans to authorize pharmacists to prescribe electronic cigarettes as a nicotine substitute.
- In an opinion, the HCSP advises against the electronic cigarette to quit smoking.
- French Braun is considering, however, prescriptions in pharmacies for electronic cigarettes in order to fight against smoking.
- In Australia, the electronic cigarette will no longer be sold in stores but only available on prescription.
In 2022, the High Council for Public Health (HCSP) recommended that health professionals not offer electronic cigarettes to smokers to support them in their efforts to stop or reduce smoking. “The HCSP emphasizes that knowledge based on evidence is insufficient to offer SEDEN (electronic nicotine delivery system, editor’s note) as smoking cessation aids in the care of smokers by health professionals. Thus, professionals of health which accompany a smoker must use medicinal treatments or not, having proven their effectiveness”, can we read in his opinion.
Towards a reimbursement of the electronic cigarette?
But recently, the Minister of Health, French Braun, announced that he wanted to pave the way for the prescription of electronic cigarettes in pharmacies. “Having nicotine substitutes to quit smoking, it must be maintained, it is a prescription. I plan to open this possibility of prescription also to pharmacists who are confronted with these smokers who want to quit. Electronic cigarettes make it possible to reduce gradually his consumption of nicotine and to stop”, he said on set Grand Jury. The Minister also mentioned the reimbursement of electronic cigarettes. “Indeed, as part of the next tobacco plan, reimbursement is on the table”. As a reminder, the plan in question is developed for the period 2023-2027.
Electronic cigarettes: “in countries where there are 20% of smokers, it must be made compulsory”
The prescription of electronic cigarettes, as part of therapeutic support, is already possible in Australia. “Australia has done it, but in this country there are less than 1% of smokers among 18 year olds. From the moment there are no more smokers, should electronic cigarettes be banned? J I said yes at first, now I’m less sure: in Australia, since there are no more smokers, there are still 6% of young people who use electronic cigarettes… and they don’t become no smokers! should it be banned? For any smoker, the electronic cigarette is good, for any non-smoker, it should be avoided!”, recently explained Professor Bertrand Dautzenberg, pulmonologist at the Salpêtrière in Paris.
