NHS England offers an improved stop-smoking pill to help people quit

The NHS is rolling out an improved stop-smoking pill to help tens of thousands of people in England try and quit.

Varenicline, a once-a-day pill, has been shown to work as well as vapes and better than nicotine patches. It reduces cravings for nicotine and blocks its effect on the brain, while also helping with withdrawal symptoms such as feeling irritable or having difficulty sleeping.

When used alongside behavioural support such as counselling, the drug has been shown to help around 1 in 4 people to stop smoking for at least six months.

NHS England will now offer varenicline as an additional treatment option for people in England using NHS Stop Smoking Services. Estimates suggest this approach could help over 85,000 people trying to quit smoking each year. Research from University College London has also shown it could prevent up to 9,500 smoking-related deaths over the next five years.

“Smoking is the biggest cause of cancer in the UK and stopping completely is the best thing you can do for your health,” said Dr Ian Walker, our executive director of policy. “It’s great news that the NHS is making varenicline an option for people trying to quit. Along with funding for cessation services, making tools like this available will help more people stop smoking.”

Varenicline replaces a previous branded pill (Champix), which was withdrawn as a precaution in 2021 when regulators found an impurity. The UK Medicines Health and Regulatory Authority has now approved varenicline as safe.

As a ‘generic’ or unbranded drug, varenicline (made by the pharmaceutical company Teva UK) is much also a much cheaper option than Champix. Analysis from the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in 2018 showed that every £1 the NHS spent on Champix and behavioural support saved it £1.65 by preventing smoking-related illnesses. Varenicline should be even more cost-effective.

NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard called varenicline a “vital step in shifting our NHS further towards prevention”. In a speech at the NHS Providers annual conference later today, she will explain how that shift will enable the NHS to improve services while saving money.

The NHS currently spends around £2.5 billion a year treating health issues caused by smoking, which is the leading cause of preventable illness in the UK. As well as causing more than seven in 10 lung cancers (along with at least 15 other types), smoking increases the risk of many major health conditions, such as strokes, diabetes, heart disease, stillbirth and dementia.

“Around 160 cases of cancer are caused by tobacco every day in the UK, so it’s essential that action is taken to prevent people from smoking in the first place,” added Walker. “We urge MPs across all political parties to vote in favour of the recently tabled Tobacco and Vapes Bill. Raising the age of sale of tobacco products and sustainably funding cessation support will pave way for a future free from the harms of smoking.”

NHS England is offering varenicline in conjunction with pharmacy and council-led stop smoking services across the country. People can self-refer to these services by visiting the NHS Better Health website.