Vapes are better than nicotine replacement patches and gum when it comes to helping smokers quit, influential researchers decided today.
Researchers from the University of Oxford found that smokers who used e-cigarettes were up to twice as likely to quit the habit in six months.
Cancer experts welcomed the report, which adds to the growing body of evidence showing that e-cigarettes are effective smoking cessation aids.
But they warned non-smokers not to vape because “it’s a relatively new product and we don’t know the long-term health effects yet.”
The author dr. Nicola Lindson, a psychologist at the university, said the products carried only a small fraction of the risk associated with smoking but were not “risk free”.
Oxford University researchers found that smokers who use e-cigarettes are up to twice as likely to quit the habit within six months as those who use nicotine replacement patches and gum
The NHS currently advises that vaping can help smokers, although it is not available on prescription.
But England will become the first country in the world to prescribe e-cigarettes to help smokers quit if the government’s plans are approved.
The percentage of vapers in the UK has more than doubled this year, from 4 per cent in 2021 to 8.6 per cent in 2022.
About 5 percent of American adults vape.
The recent increase in prevalence has been largely driven by young people’s uptake of electronic cigarettes, which is a concern for some experts.
Earlier this month, respiratory paediatricians told MailOnline that the colorful devices needed cigarette-style graphic warnings.
Despite concerns about its use by children, Dr. Lindson: “E-cigarettes do not burn tobacco; and as such, they do not expose users to the same complex mix of chemicals that cause disease in people who smoke conventional cigarettes.
“E-cigarettes are not without risks and should not be used by people who do not smoke or are not at risk of smoking.
“However, there is evidence that nicotine-containing e-cigarettes pose only a small fraction of the risk associated with smoking.”
The 290-page Cochrane Review included 78 studies with more than 22,000 participants, 22 more studies since the last update in 2021.
They looked at data from smokers trying to quit and compared their success with e-cigarettes and other therapies over six months.
These include nicotine replacement therapies such as patches and gum, varenicline – a smoking cessation drug – and both nicotine and non-nicotine e-cigarettes.
Some studies have also compared these success rates to having no quit support.
The researchers also looked at studies of side effects of the therapies on or after use for at least a week.
The results showed that if six out of 100 people stopped using nicotine replacement therapy, eight to 12 would stop using electronic cigarettes containing nicotine.
This means that an additional two to six people out of 100 could potentially quit smoking with e-cigarettes that contain nicotine.
There was also evidence that e-cigarettes with nicotine led to higher rates of smoking cessation than e-cigarettes without nicotine or did not quit smoking, but less data contributed to these analyses.
lead author Dr Jamie Hartmann-Boyce said: “Electronic cigarettes have been the source of much misunderstanding in both the public health industry and the popular press since their introduction more than a decade ago.
“This gave us, for the first time, strong evidence that e-cigarettes are even more effective in helping people quit smoking than traditional nicotine replacement therapies such as patches or gum.”
In studies comparing nicotine-containing e-cigarettes with nicotine replacement treatments, significant side effects were rare.
Nicotine e-cigarettes reported throat or mouth irritation, headache, cough and nausea in users for the first two years.
However, these effects appeared to diminish over time.
Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, said: “We welcome this report, which adds to a growing body of evidence showing that e-cigarettes are an effective way to quit smoking.
“We strongly advise people who have never smoked before to use e-cigarettes, especially young people.”
“That’s because it’s a relatively new product and we don’t yet know the long-term health effects.”
She added: “While the long-term effects of vaping are still unknown, the harmful effects of smoking are indisputable – smoking causes around 55,000 cancer deaths in the UK each year.
“Cancer Research UK supports balanced, evidence-based regulation of e-cigarettes by UK governments that maximizes their potential to help people quit smoking while, among other things, minimizing the risk of withdrawal.”
The researchers conclude that more evidence is needed, particularly on the effects of newer e-cigarettes with better nicotine delivery than earlier ones, to help more people quit smoking.
Long-term data are also needed, they said.
Independent experts said the results should “give smokers peace of mind” that e-cigarettes can help them quit.
DR Sarah Jackson, senior researcher at University College London’s Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group, said: “E-cigarettes are popular with smokers looking to quit, with one in three quit attempts in England involving an e-cigarette involves
A growing number of studies have tested whether e-cigarettes increase the likelihood that smokers will successfully quit. This review provides the most rigorous and up-to-date summary of this evidence.
With more data available than ever before, the authors concluded that there is now strong evidence that e-cigarettes are even more effective for quitting than traditional nicotine replacement therapies such as nicotine patches and gum.
“These results follow a recent study on the harms of e-cigarettes, which clearly showed that vaping only accounts for a small fraction of the health risks associated with smoking.
“Taken together, these reports should reassure smokers that e-cigarettes are much safer to use and can improve your chances of quitting.”
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
