English regulators to consider use of e-cigarettes by health service

LONDON - Health regulators in England have paved the way for e-cigarettes to be prescribed by doctors for the first time in any country to help people stop smoking tobacco, Britain's health ministry said on Friday.

Manufacturers of e-cigarettes will be able to submit their products for checks and possibly regulatory approval for use in the country's National Health Service, the ministry said in a statement.

Smoking rates have fallen to record lows in Britain but killed almost 64,000 people in England in 2019.

Reviews have shown that regulated e-cigarettes are not risk-free but are less harmful than smoking, the ministry said.