NHS launches new pill to help smokers quit cigarettes

THE NHS will begin offering an "improved" version of the stop-smoking pill varenicline to tens of thousands of people in England aiming to quit smoking.

Previously available under the brand name Champix, varenicline was withdrawn due to impurities but has now been approved as safe for use, the BBC reported.

According to NHS England, varenicline is more effective than nicotine patches or gum, and as effective as e-cigarettes in curbing nicotine cravings.

E-cigarettes may also be offered as a short-term option, often as a starter kit through local NHS stop-smoking services. Unlike varenicline, e-cigarettes are not licensed as medicines, meaning they are only available through locally approved NHS schemes.

Varenicline requires a prescription, so patients must consult their GP or an NHS stop-smoking service to access it. The medication works by reducing cravings for nicotine, blocking its effects on the brain, and managing withdrawal symptoms.

Used alongside behavioural support, such as counselling, varenicline helps around one in four users quit smoking for at least six months, according to NHS England.

Research from University College London indicates this pill could help more than 85,000 people quit smoking annually, potentially preventing about 9,500 smoking-related deaths over the next five years, the BBC reported.

The NHS currently spends around £2.5 billion per year on treating smoking-related health issues, with over 400,000 hospital admissions in England linked to smoking last year.