Letter minister for health 11th Feb 2025

2024-12-29T15:34:01Z

Richardpruen: Test edit

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[[File:98944120-A897-4072-B461-4423B907E527-snw.png|alt=The safer nicotine wiki logo, a book open in a library, and a computer screen showing the nicotine molecule|center|thumb|Safer nicotine Wiki logo]]

== Information on Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR), Nicotine, and safer alternatives to using combustible cigarettes ==
We aim to provide information for interested members of the public (remember you are the 'public' in public health). This might include consumers, scientists and researchers, health workers, medical doctors, regulators, and journalists. Most of the time papers link directly to the original science, often on government servers, we aim to provide useful summaries/comment where possible as a guide, we encourage you to read the full paper if you wish.
== Finding Balance ==
In 2021, the American Journal of Public Health published the paper "[https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306416 Balancing Consideration of the Risks and Benefits of E-Cigarettes]." It was written by 15 past presidents of the Society for Nicotine and Tobacco Research (SRNT). SRNT is the main global professional society for researchers who focus on nicotine and tobacco. Its mission is "...to stimulate the generation and dissemination of new knowledge concerning nicotine in all its manifestations - from molecular to societal." The paper discussed the contentious debate about tobacco harm reduction, with a focus on e-cigarettes.

Around the world, limits are being placed on people who use THR products to help themselves stop smoking. There are many reasons for over-regulating and outright banning reduced-risk products. They include a moral panic over youth use, a false belief that THR products are a gateway to smoking, stigma about using nicotine, misinformation, click-bait media articles, and science riddled with methodological flaws (To learn more about these issues, please search this website). This is adversely affecting people's ability to save their own lives and improve their health by quitting smoking or preventing a return to smoking.

If after exploring the Safer Nicotine Wiki you feel compelled to help consumers in their efforts to have access to safer alternatives to combustible tobacco, please see our [https://safernicotine.wiki/mediawiki/index.php/Advocating_For_Tobacco_Harm_Reduction '''Advocating For Tobacco Harm Reduction'''] page, which contains calls to action you can assist with. While some of our volunteers may fill an advocacy role outside of their efforts on the Safer Nicotine Wiki, we do not participate in or endorse/oppose any regulations as a group. It is outside our mission. We're here for educational purposes only. That information may include studies showing the outcomes of some regulations because it is always important to look at the goals and tradeoffs of any policy.

== [[Tobacco Harm Reduction News]] ==
[[File:Noun Newspaper 154015.svg|frameless|150x150px|Newspaper icon|left]]
==== The Latest News on THR, Vaping and Safer Nicotine ====
[[Tobacco Harm Reduction News|Here]] you will find the latest news and links to news about all nicotine products, regulations, and etc.
 
 
 
 
 
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== How to explore: ==
See the [[Special:AllPages|'''List of all pages''']], or use the [[Special:Search|'''Search page''']] (Tip: add ~ to the end of e.g. colour~ to find alternate (international) spellings) or the search box in the top right corner.

There is also a list of [[:Category:FAQ Question|'''FAQ Questions''']] that may be interesting. And a [[:Category:FAQ list|'''lists of FAQ questions from various other organizations''']],

There is this list of categories: '''[[Guide to Main Categories]]''', find your local vaping organisation '''[[Links|List of orgs]]'''

= What is this? = 
This [[Wiki]] has been assembled by a team of keen volunteers, free of [[Special:MyLanguage/funding|funding]] from any industry (tobacco or otherwise) source. If you would like to contribute to the expansion and evolution of this resource, please see the how to contribute section below. Remember: respected sources only please.


We are looking for volunteers to translate the wiki into different languages, please sign up for an account if you can help. We can be contacted at the email below, please include your username when contacting us.


=A few important questions are answered here without having to access the main menu:=


'''[[Special:MyLanguage/Safe or Safer?|Safe or Safer?]]''' Briefly, nothing is absolutely safe, but as the products continually evolve they become safer. [[Special:MyLanguage/Nicotine Replacement Therapy|Nicotine Replacement Therapy]] products such as [[Special:MyLanguage/Transdermal patch|patches]], [[Special:MyLanguage/Nicotine Chewing gum|gums]], [[Special:MyLanguage/Nicotine sprays|sprays]], and inhalers are substantially less than 1% as risky as smoking. Non-pharmaceutical nicotine products can also pose a fraction of the risk of smoking, e.g. [[Special:MyLanguage/Snus|Snus]] (approximately 1%), [[Special:MyLanguage/What are electronic cigarettes?| E-Cigarettes]] (less than 5%), and Heat not Burn (approximately 10%). These estimates become ever more refined as increasing numbers of research studies are published. Beyond the debate about nicotine tied to smoking and products used to quit smoking, science is also looking at potential [[Nicotine therapeutic benefits|therapeutic benefits of nicotine]].


Links here for debunking myths [[Special:MyLanguage/Myth Busting|Myth Busting]] provides links to info on anti nicotine claims and how to correct them.

'''[[Special:MyLanguage/Quit Aid|Quit Aid]]'''
The most frequently-used method to quit tobacco is 'cold turkey', i.e. unaided, but this has a greater failure rate than perhaps all others. It is very difficult to attribute a precise figure towards popular quit methods such as [[Special:MyLanguage/NRT|NRT]], [[Special:MyLanguage/Varenicline|Varenicline]] (various trade names), Allen Carr, hypnotherapy, [[Special:MyLanguage/snus|snus]] etc., as the usual medical standard of proof, the [[wikipedia:Randomized controlled trial| Randomised Controlled Trial]], doesn't really cover certain options such as [[Special:MyLanguage/e-cigarettes|e-cigarettes]] adequately (as choices of all various combinations of flavour choice, nicotine strength, and device type are impossible to include). However, [https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa1808779 a recent RCT] demonstrated that e-cigarettes were twice as effective as NRT for cessation (probably an underestimate of real world results).

Like who knew the [[Special:MyLanguage/Pez dispenser|Pez dispenser]] was a quit aid?


'''[[Special:MyLanguage/Health Improvements|Health Improvements]]''' Virtually everyone who used a safer nicotine product to quit cigarettes completely experiences profound improvement in their health, e.g. improved breathing and cardiovascular benefits. This is possibly due to totally removing the previous inhalation of carbon monoxide from the tobacco cigarette. [[Special:MyLanguage/Asthma|Asthma]] and [[Special:MyLanguage/Copd|COPD]] patients have shown great recovery, see [[Special:MyLanguage/Health Improvements|Health Improvements]]

'''[https://safernicotine.wiki/mediawiki/index.php/Nicotine_/_THR_-_Statements_from_Organizations Commentary from respected sources]''' Many governments around the world recognise that Safer Nicotine Products offer benefits, along with respected organisations such as [[Special:MyLanguage/Public Health England|Public Health England]], [[Special:MyLanguage/Royal College of Physicians|Royal College of Physicians]], [[Special:MyLanguage/Cochrane|Cochrane]], and [[Special:MyLanguage/NASEM|NASEM]] (US). See Also: '''[https://safernicotine.wiki/mediawiki/index.php/Nicotine_/_THR_-_Statements_from_Experts Commentary from experts]'''


'''[[Special:MyLanguage/Cost Savings|Cost Savings]]'''
Vast savings are experienced; this is quite underappreciated by some members of the general public. It would be a gross underestimate to state that a 50% reduction in spending would be experienced by anyone who completely switches. For some users who make their own liquids and manufacture their own coils, costs can be less than 1% of what they would have incurred when smoking.

==== Our [[DIY]] page lists details and has links to important safety information, particularly for those new to making their own liquid. It also provides basic information on safe operation of vaping devices. ====
Don't forget the list of [[Special:AllPages|'''List of all pages''']] if you can't find what you are looking for, try the [[Special:Search|'''Search page''']]

= How to Contribute = 

=== Find your local vaping group or organisation here: [[Links|List of Tobacco Harm Reduction and Vaping Groups, worldwide]]. ===
Please sign up for an account, you will need to verify your email address, you can then start editing after a short delay, please see the [[How to edit the wiki]] page for full details. If you use a screen reader and e.g. captchas are a problem, please email us and we will accommodate where possible.

We are looking for volunteers to translate the wiki into different languages, please [[Special:CreateAccount|sign up]] for an account, if you can help.

If you already have an account, you should be able to promote yourself to a translator, click the link in the sidebar menu or [[Special:TranslatorSignup|TranslatorSignup]]. To do this requires a verified email address, that you have completed some (currently 3) edits elsewhere on the site, and your account is not brand new. If you have difficulty or would like to be promoted manually, please email us at [mailto:Info@safernicotine.wiki info@safernicotine.wiki]

We will accept documents if you prefer to write them in word (.doc(x)), or open document format (.odf) or PDF (.pdf). please include you name for attribution, unless you wish to remain anonymous. Please let you know any info you would like included for attribution etc. emails may be sent to the address above. We apologize, but it may take some time to add submitted information. Note: several people monitor the email address please include a ref. to any previous communication so that we can find it. Thanks!

== Looking for something to edit? Try [[:Category:All stub articles]] for pages that need your input! ==
Or click any red link to create that page! Try searching and if there is no page already, you can create one from the search results page.

=Get in touch=

Please email [mailto:info@safernicotine.wiki info@safernicotine.wiki]


Please do not email asking to use our page authors work, that right is already granted by our licence CC-BY-SA, see the link at the bottom of the page.

Twitter [https://twitter.com/SaferWiki @SaferWiki]

== Maintenance ==

Please note every Sunday from 10:00 to 21:00 the site will be undergoing maintenance, disruption will be kept to a minimum but it might be slow or unavailable for a time due to database optimizations. Thank you for understanding.
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MHRA yellow card

2024-12-18T13:27:01Z

Richardpruen: fix cat

[[File:Yellow card.svg|alt=yellow card icon|thumb|yellow card icon]]

== The MHRA ==
The [https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/medicines-and-healthcare-products-regulatory-agency Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)] is the executive Agency of the Department of Health and Social Care that acts on behalf of the Ministers to protect and promote public health and patient safety, by ensuring that healthcare products meet appropriate standards of safety, quality and efficacy. We keep watch over medicines and devices, and take necessary action to protect the public promptly if there is a problem.

Speak to your doctor, pharmacist or to call [[Tel:111|NHS 111]] if you are worried about your health as the MHRA is unable to provide medical advice.

== The Yellow Card scheme ==
The MHRA runs the Yellow Card scheme, which collects and monitors information on suspected safety concerns involving a healthcare products, like a side effect with a medicine or an adverse medical device incident. The scheme relies on voluntary reporting of problems to a healthcare product by the public (including patients, parents and carer givers) as well as from healthcare professionals. The scheme also collects suspected safety concerns involving defective (not of an acceptable quality), falsified or fake healthcare products.

== Healthcare products ==
Always read the patient information leaflet, or instructions supplied with your medicine or medical device. It lists the known side effects or problems and advises you on what to do. You can report safety issues from any healthcare product to the Yellow Card scheme. Healthcare products include:

* Medicines
* Vaccines
* Blood factor and immunoglobulin products
* Herbal products or complementary therapies such as homeopathies
* Medical devices (including software, apps and artificial intelligence)
* E-cigarettes including their refill containers (e-liquids)

More information on the types of reports for these healthcare products can be found [https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/resources/reporttypes here.]

== Aims of the scheme ==
It is important for people to report problems experienced with healthcare products as these are used to identify issues which might not have been previously known about. The purpose of the Yellow Card scheme is to provide an early warning that the safety of a product may require more further investigation. The scheme helps the MHRA monitor the safety of all healthcare products in the UK to ensure they are acceptably safe for patients and users. Reports are used alongside other safety information and help the MHRA to take action if any trends associated to the safety or efficacy of a healthcare product are identified. The MHRA will review the issue and if necessary, take action to minimise risk and maximise benefit to the patients.

== Latest details on E-Cigarettes ==
[[File:Electronic Cigarette Drug Analysis Print up to 30.09.2022.pdf|alt=Report on all adverse events reported by the yellow card scheme|none|thumb|Report on all adverse events reported by the yellow card scheme]]{{Stub}}
[[Category:THR Stories]]
[[Category:THR product]]
[[Category:Smoking cessation]]