Smokers to get free nicotine patches in UK

Free nicotine patches are to be offered on the UK's national health service as part of a major drive to help smokers quit their habit in the New Year.

Coupons giving smokers a week’s free trial of the patches will be added to “Quit Kits” for the first time, the British Department of Health announced.

The kits, which also contain items such as calming audio downloads and “health and wealth” wheels showing the benefits of giving up, will be available at participating pharmacies across the country.

The Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) patches work by gradually releasing nicotine into the bloodstream without the cancer-causing substances found in cigarettes.

Smokers can double their chances of giving up successfully by using them. Research shows that two thirds of smokers want to stop.

British Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said: “January is the most popular time of year to try and quit smoking.

“To give smokers some extra help, we’ve launched a new Quit Kit with a free one-week trial of NRT patches.

“Smoking costs the NHS billions every year and can cost a 20-a-day smoker around £2,000 a year, so giving smokers help to quit not only improves their health, but saves them and the NHS money.”