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The first e-cigarette to be prescribed on the NHS will be available in the new year – but the Government wants to keep the move quiet.

The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency ­licensed British American Tobacco ’s e-Voke last month.

That means doctors will be able to hand it out on prescription to smokers who want to quit.

But as it will not be available till next year, public health minister Jane Ellison hoped to keep the news under wraps, the Sunday People reports.

(Image: PA)

A Whitehall source said: “We didn’t want to make a song and dance about it because GPs would be overrun by people demanding it. But this is something we’ve been pushing for.”

Ms Ellison had to spill the beans when asked a direct question by Labour MP Steve McCabe.

She told him: “The Government believes vaping is ­significantly less harmful than smoking . We encourage ­medicinal license applications.”

Rechargeable e-cigs use cartridges containing what ­tobacco giant BAT calls “pharmaceutical grade nicotine”.

It is likely to cost the NHS £20 per kit and £10 a week for each patient’s cartridges, and long-term health budget ­savings are ­expected.

At least 2.6 million people use e-cigarettes and almost half are ex-smokers. E-cigs are used by 1.4 million to help them cut down.

They have been assessed as 95 per cent safer than tobacco.

Action on Smoking and Health welcomed the move. The group said: “Other electronic cigarette manufacturers and importers should be encouraged to apply for licences too.”

And Professor Kevin Fenton of Public Health England added: “We want to see a choice of safe and effective ­replacements for smoking that smokers want to use.”