In the United Kingdom, Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) is legally allowed, including the sale and purchase of NRT products without a prescription from general stores. The government fully covers NRT cost. The market size of NRT products in the United Kingdom was estimated to be 165.4 million € in 2019.
Product promotion
- Consumer Health: Euromonitor from trade sources/national statistics. Date Exported: 8/9/2019. (c) Euromonitor International 2019
Regulation
- WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2023. Available at: https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/country-profiles/tobacco/gtcr-2023/tobacco-2023-gbr.pdf?sfvrsn=ae538ce2_3&download=true. Accessed: 9 December 2025.
Availability
| Year | Value | Reference/Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Yes | 1A |
| 2022 | Yes | 1B |
- WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic 2019. https://www.who.int/tobacco/global_report/en/ (2019).
- WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2023. Available at: https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/country-profiles/tobacco/gtcr-2023/tobacco-2023-gbr.pdf?sfvrsn=ae538ce2_3&download=true. Accessed: 9 December 2025.
| Year | Value | Reference/Comment |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | many general shops without a prescription | 1A |
| 2022 | General store | 1B |
- WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic 2019. https://www.who.int/tobacco/global_report/en/ (2019).
- WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2023. Available at: https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/country-profiles/tobacco/gtcr-2023/tobacco-2023-gbr.pdf?sfvrsn=ae538ce2_3&download=true. Accessed: 9 December 2025.
- WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2023. Available at: https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/country-profiles/tobacco/gtcr-2023/tobacco-2023-gbr.pdf?sfvrsn=ae538ce2_3&download=true. Accessed: 9 December 2025.
- WHO Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic 2019. https://www.who.int/tobacco/global_report/en/ (2019).
Formal support
- WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2023. Available at: https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/country-profiles/tobacco/gtcr-2023/tobacco-2023-gbr.pdf?sfvrsn=ae538ce2_3&download=true. Accessed: 9 December 2025.
- NRT cost is fully covered by the government.
Publications
A smokefree UK? How research, policy and vapes have cut smoking rates
The number of people who vape in the United Kingdom is soon set to exceed the number who smoke for the first time. This Briefing Paper explores the United Kingdom’s progress towards becoming smokefree, highlighting both the successes and the challenges.
Aids Used in Quit Attempt in Past 12 Months, England, Smoking Toolkit Study 2011-2015
- No Fire, No Smoke: The Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction
These data suggest there are large numbers of smokers both trying e-cigarettes and using them, and who have quit smoking altogether. Coupled with the rapid decline in smoking, to 15.1 percent, this indicates a strong association between the rise of e-cigarettes and the ongoing decline in smoking. There appears to be a new landscape of smoking cessation. E-cigarettes are now the most common method used to quit smoking, having overtaken NRT, medication and behavioural support by 2013 in England.
These changes are also reflected in the use of stop smoking services. The UK has a network of specialist stop smoking services and help with quitting is also provided through a wide range of NHS services. They have seen a rapid drop in customers since 2011-12. In part this might be due to reduced resources, but is also likely to be linked to the fact that people now have additional ways to quit.
See also p. 53 of the report: No Fire, No Smoke: The Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction 2018 — Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (gsthr.org)
