Why Should The Tax Payer Fund This?

[youngmafbog]

http://news.sky.com/story/1537955/call-for-e-cigarettes-to-be-prescribed-on-nhs

The NHS is heading for meltdown so should we be funding this?

Surely e-cigs are far cheaper than fags so the punters are squids in anyway?

[Gromit]

That was my initial thought.

But if it reduces the £billions spent treating smokers on the NHS then it will be money well spent.

[youngmafbog]

So should alcoholics be bought soft drinks on prescription then?

Should every fat *** be bought an exercise cycle and a set of weights courtesy of all the others who have not abused their bodies?

[Gromit]

You can get patches, gum and tablets that help you quit smoking, so why not e-cigs?

[aelmpvw]

this is good news, next they'll be giving us our 'five a day' free on the nhs

[Retrochic]

No E cigs should not be funded by the NHS. IF you give them free everyone half wanting to quit will get one and discard or sell them if they don't want them -if you have to fork out your own money for them you are more likely to make an effort to keep trying them. If people on benefits who get free prescriptions can afford to buy cigs they can afford to buy electric ones.

[youngmafbog]

//Anyway, it'll only matter to people who get free prescriptions//

According to the Government, 88% of prescription items are dispensed free of charge !

Still happy about it?

[Retrochic]

The last e-cig my OH bought was £55 -bit more than the price of a prescription on the NHS

[Sammy48]

No, if you choose to do this filthy habit and can afford it, then fund yourself to come off it.

If we choose to lead a healthier lifestyle, we have to fund our gym membership, and buy better food.

Let the NHS put more money into mental health services.

[Retrochic]

Sammy48 I totally agree, people need to take control of their own lives. If they can afford to eat themselves,drink themselves or smoke themselves into bad health then make them afford to pay for the alternatives to get healthy again.

[ladybirder]

So for how long will the NHS fund them? My daughter has been puffing ecigs for about 5 years now and has no plans to stop.

[aelmpvw]

i know people who smoke cigarettes and e-cigs, they're going to be a double drain on the nhs

[Retrochic]

ladybirder -its a fashion thing now . OH has been on them for 3 years thankfully stopping smoking real cigs around 40 a day. And you would get the problem of the 'NHS' e cigs that no one would want. Some E-cigs you can buy have got gold plating on them or jewelry so really are fashion items now.

[EDDIE51]

You can already get Nicorette and similar on the NHS my wife has been prescribed them . She has had patches and the 'Inhalator' which is no more than an E cig by another name all free ,and they are more expensive than an E cig. The types you get free will be the one that allow you to gradually lower the dose of nicotine until you can give up. Did you know that a registered alcoholic DOES get money to buy alcohol if they are on benefits?
I know of two alcoholics who got extra benefit money to buy drink, it is classed as a necessity. They only get it as long as they attend counseling to get off drink, stop the counseling and the drink money stops as well
Both the people I know are now 'dry' thanks to the NHS programme . They both admit it was only the fact that they could get their drink free as long as they were in the treatment program that let them give up.

[sandyRoe]

People usually become addicted when they're teenagers. The prospect of struggling with health problems brought on by smoking when they're 50 or 60 seems so remote as not to be something to worry about.
These E-cigs are a good thing and money well spent if it saves the cost of treatments later on the NHS.

[Retrochic]

SAndy no one is saying e cigs are not a good idea buy why should the NHS fund them through free prescriptions? If people can afford £20 a day on fags they can certainly afford to buy the e cigs themselves.

[EDDIE51]

Sammy4b the NHS does give free gym membership to those who are obese and are considered to need it. It give free subscriptions to Weight Watchers and other slimming clubs as well. My wife has had 26 weeks free at weight watchers on the NHS and has lost over a stone. My daughter get free gym membership on the NHS as long as she goes and follows the weight loss/exercise program they have worked out.
You lot just do not seem to realise just what is available on the NHS,if you need it, both the options I have mentioned are cheaper and more effective than drugs .

[dannyk13]

There is nothing in the article to suggest that they will be free. Nicotine patches etc still had to be paid for by the patient.