The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) suggests health officials tell smokers currently unregulated nicotine-containing products such as electronic cigarettes may be safer than smoking.

That recommendation and others to stop or reduce smoking are part of a draft guidance subject to an ongoing NICE consultation on tobacco harm reduction. Input is limited to organisations registered as NICE stakeholders and closes 19 Dec. A final set of recommendations is expected in May, 2013.
Guidelines are being developed by the independent health authority at the direction of the Department of Health. Intended target groups include smoking cessation services at National Health Service, local authorities and the general public. The documentation is available on the NICE website.
On e-cigarettes, the draft suggests: “Tell people that some nicotine-containing products (for example, electronic cigarettes) are currently not regulated by the MHRA and therefore their safety and quality cannot be assured. However, tell them that these products are likely to be less harmful than cigarettes”. MHRA is the acronym for Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. (ci)