United Kingdom

Study: E-Cigarettes Beat Patches and Gum for Quitting Smoking

Are nicotine vapes the best quit-smoking tool available or a harmful habit swap not worth celebrating?

Published AUG 26

Study: E-Cigarettes Beat Patches and Gum for Quitting Smoking

Story

Above: Actress Anna Mouglalis smoking an e-cigarette after the AMFIS conference in Chateauneuf-sur-Isere, France, Aug. 22. Image credit: Nicolas Guyonnet/Hans Lucas/AFP/Getty Images

The Facts

An updated Cochrane review of 80 randomized controlled trials involving 29,861 participants found that nicotine e-cigarettes produced higher quit rates than nicotine replacement therapy, with roughly four of every 100 people using nicotine vapes successfully quitting. The results were published Wednesday.
Cochrane
Nicotine vapes outperformed patches and gum by about four additional quitters per 100 people, and produced around two more quitters per 100 than non-nicotine e-cigarettes.
BMJ
The Pharmacist
The review found no evidence of increased serious harm from using nicotine vapes to quit smoking, though researchers noted that longer-term studies are still needed to fully assess safety.
The Conversation
ScienceAlert
The review's findings apply only to regulated, nicotine-containing e-cigarettes. Senior author Dr. Jamie Hartmann-Boyce warned that "unlicensed e-cigarettes are potentially dangerous, with issues including unstable batteries and harmful chemicals."
ScienceAlert
BBC News
In Great Britain, e-cigarette use has surpassed smoking, with around 5.4 million adults vaping daily or occasionally compared to roughly 4.9 million current smokers, according to Office for National Statistics estimates.
BBC News
Office for National Statistics
A Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health review last year found children who vape are more likely to go on to smoke cigarettes. Data from Action on Smoking and Health shows 19% of 11-to-17-year-olds in Great Britain have tried vaping, with 6% currently doing so.
BMJ
Action on Smoking and Health

Sources Split

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CENTER

RIGHT

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The Spin

Narrative A

Nicotine vapes are the most effective quit-smoking tool available, and the Cochrane review of 80 randomized controlled trials covering nearly 30,000 participants makes that clear. For every 100 people trying to quit, vaping produces about four more successful quitters than patches or gum. Quitting is hard, and many people try repeatedly before succeeding, so having a proven leading option can help encourage smokers to keep trying.

Vaping360

Narrative B

Swapping cigarettes for vapes isn't much of a health win. E-cigarette aerosols contain cancer-causing chemicals, nicotine addiction remains just as fierce and youth exposure is a real crisis. Research also links vaping in children to breathing problems, poor sleep and mental health issues, and young vapers are more likely to start smoking cigarettes. Trading one harmful habit for another slightly less harmful one is a pretty low bar to celebrate.

New York Post

BBC News