E-cigarettes are used by many to assist in a stop smoking attempt, and have been found by Public Health England to be 95% less harmful than smoking. Cochrane, an international not-for-profit organisation, have been conducting a living systematic review on e-cigarettes for smoking cessation since 2012, and have recently released the latest update which holds some fantastic findings for vapers.
E-cigarettes twice as effective as NRT
Stopping smoking is the single best thing you can do for your health, but that doesn’t mean that it is easy. Having effective smoking cessation tools can help smokers remain smoke-free long-term, and the Cochrane review has concluding that more people remained smoke-free for at least six months with the help of a nicotine-containing e-cigarette than with nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) like patches or gum.
The studies found that for every 100 people using nicotine-containing e-cigarettes, up to 14 of them remained smoke-free for at least six months, compared with only 6 out of 100 people using NRT. The studies even found that those who are using a nicotine-free e-cigarette have a higher chance of achieving long-term smoking abstinence, with 7 out of 100 people remaining smoke-free.
Being able to identify the most effective stop smoking aids is vitally important to ensuring high success rates for smokers making the quit. These studies suggest that e-cigarettes are a much more effective option than the NRTs that are commonly offered in stop smoking clinics, supporting the popular view that e-cigarettes should be more widely offered in stop smoking services.
3 times more effective than behavioural support alone
Another conclusion drawn from the Cochrane review is that nicotine-containing e-cigarettes had a higher success rate for long-term smoking abstinence than no support or behavioural support alone. Only 4 out of 100 people receiving no support or behavioural support only remained smoke-free for at least 6 months, compared to 14 out of 100 e-cigarettes users.
Behavioural support works with the individual to offer advice for avoiding situations when they may want to smoke, whereas e-cigarettes offer a replacement to the physical habit. For many smokers, the physical habit of smoking is just as hard to break as the psychological aspects, so having an alternative nicotine source that feels cigarette-alike can make a big difference for achieving long-term abstinence.
In fact, a recent study from London Southbank University found that e-cigarette use in conjunction with behavioural support is the most effective course of action for a successful quit attempt, with 58% of participants using this combination remaining smoke-free at 4 weeks. You can read our coverage of this study in our post ‘58% quit rate achieved using e-cigarettes’.
A reduction of harm
The review also concludes that none of the studies included detected serious adverse effects related to e-cigarettes use. In fact, some of the studies observed reduced toxin concentrations and biomarkers of harm in people who had made the switch from smoking to vaping, consistent with the reduction seen in smoking cessation.
E-cigarettes offer the opportunity to switch to an alternative nicotine source that keeps cravings at bay while also eliminating the countless harmful substances that combustible cigarettes produce. The finding that not only are there no serious adverse effects that have been attributed to e-cigarette use, but that a reduction in harm was observed in is fantastic news for both current vapers and those who will go on to make the switch in future.
As a vaping retailer, we are excited to see that research continues to establish e-cigarettes as a less harmful and effective alternative to smoking. Our aim every day is to help our customers make the switch from smoking to vaping and provide support and advice at every stage of their vaping journey.
If you or someone you know is considering a stop smoking attempt and want to know more about how e-cigarettes could help, pop in to your local Evapo store or speak to a member of our customer service team.
At a glance
- Twice as many people remain smoke-free for at least six months with the help of a nicotine-containing e-cigarette than with nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)
- E-cigarettes are three times as effective at aiding in long-term smoking cessation than behavioural support alone
- Studies have observed a reduction of toxin concentrations and biomarkers of harm in people who had made the switch from smoking to vaping
Sources
Cochrane Library 14/09/2021
London South Bank University Study 08/2021
