Following the inclusion of e-cigarettes in medical insurance, the UK has made new moves.

On May 10, Public Health England will soon officially authorize e-cigarettes as a medical product for smoking cessation.

In February, Health Secretary Syed Javid appointed Zavid Khan, chief executive of the Barnardo Foundation, a prominent British children's charity, to launch an investigation. Britain wants to achieve a smoke-free plan by 2030, that is, no more than 1 smoker in 20 people.

The inquiry, which reportedly recommends promoting e-cigarettes as a less harmful alternative to existing smokers, is expected to be presented to UK officials later this month.

The UK is considered the most vaping-friendly European country. The United Kingdom has not only been committed to the scientific research of electronic cigarettes, but also used it as a key means of tobacco control to encourage smokers to switch to electronic cigarettes. In October last year, the UK's National Health Service (NHS) announced that it would use e-cigarettes as a prescription drug to help smokers quit smoking, which means the UK will become the first country in the world to license a medical product for e-cigarettes.

The 2021 e-cigarette use report released by the British health department shows that there are 3.2 million e-cigarette users in the UK, but only about 100,000 non-smokers. E-cigarettes have become the most commonly used smoking cessation method for smokers.

According to data from Public Health England, in 2020, 18.2% of smokers quit using nicotine replacement therapy (such as nicotine gum, nicotine patches), and 4.4% quit smoking through varenicline (a smoking cessation drug). The number of smokers who quit smoking with e-cigarettes is 27.2%, which is more than the sum of the above two quitting methods. Affected by this, in 2017, more than 50,000 smokers in the UK successfully quit smoking through e-cigarettes; in 2020, the adult smoking rate in the UK will continue to decline, about 13.8%-16.0%.

Many experts in the industry believe that the UK's authorization of e-cigarettes as a medical product for smoking cessation will help Chinese companies that account for more than 95% of the global e-cigarette production capacity to go overseas. The "2021 Electronic Cigarette Industry Blue Book" shows that in 2021, China's electronic cigarette industry exports about 138.3 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 180%, driving a total of about 5.5 million domestic direct or indirect employment. Among them, the country with the largest export is the United States, accounting for more than half, followed by the European Union.