( Observer Network ) According to British media such as the " Daily Telegraph " and the "Independent" on October 22, the city council of Lambeth, an autonomous municipality in Greater London, England will distribute e-cigarettes to pregnant women for free as part of a new smoking cessation service. The council said that their service will save expectant mothers £2,000 a year of money spent on tobacco and can help women quit smoking.
But some health activists criticized that the parliament's decision was "inexplicable". They pointed out that according to the UK National Health Service (NHS), there has been very little research on the safety of e-cigarettes during pregnancy, and it is not clear whether it is harmful to the fetus. The NHS also clearly recommends that pregnant women can use smoking cessation patches and chewing gum to help quit smoking.
Screenshot of the British Independent report
According to the Daily Telegraph, for this plan, a spokesman for Lambes City Council explained that smoking during pregnancy is the main risk factor for adverse childbirth results, including stillbirth, miscarriage and premature birth. At the same time, smoking during pregnancy also increases the risk of fetal suffering from respiratory diseases, attention deficits and hyperactivity disorders, learning disabilities, ear, nose, and throat problems, obesity and diabetes . The spokesperson also mentioned that "data shows that women in low-income families are much more likely to smoke during pregnancy."
For this reason, the council provides "perfect professional smoking cessation services" for pregnant women who smoke, including counseling, behavioral support and nicotine replacement therapy. Now, they plan to support women who choose e-cigarettes as their preferred aid to quit smoking, "because e-cigarettes are less harmful than smoking."
The spokesperson also added that they realized that while it is best for pregnant women to stop smoking and not continue to use nicotine , for some people, this is difficult to do. In this case, if they choose to use e-cigarettes, then "e-cigarettes can help them quit smoking."
It is worth mentioning that according to the Independent on the 22nd, the details of the plan were first announced by MP Ben Kind, and the BBC (BBC) reported the news on the 22nd. According to the BBC, Kinder disclosed the news of free e-cigarette distribution to pregnant women when answering the problem of children and families in Lambes City.
According to Kinder, about 3,000 families in Lambes have fallen into poverty due to smoking habits, many of which have children. In this regard, “As part of the smoking cessation service, the council will soon begin providing free e-cigarette products to pregnant women or smokers who care for young children.” Jinde continued to alleged that the purpose of the program is to improve the health of families and save each family about £2,000 a year on tobacco.
Although Lambes City Council claims that using e-cigarettes will reduce family poverty and allow women to quit smoking, according to the Daily Telegraph, some health activists criticized that the council's decision was "inexplicable" and could cause harm to women or their unborn children.
They pointed out that information from the UK National Health Services (NHS) website said that there has been very little research on the safety of e-cigarettes during pregnancy and it is not clear whether it is harmful to the fetus. The NHS also clearly recommends that "If you are pregnant, it is recommended to use nicotine replacement therapy products, such as smoking cessation patches and chewing gum, to help you quit smoking."
In addition, the Royal Society of Midwifery (RCM) and the Smoking and Health Action Group (ASH) have also stated that although pregnant women use e-cigarettes much safer than continuing to smoke cigarettes, "the safest products are nicotine alternatives, such as smoking cessation patches and chewing gum."
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