New research led by the University College London involving nearly 19,000 smokers has found that e-cigarettes are far more effective at helping people give up smoking successfully than other nicotine replacement therapies.
The Research And Findings
The study, which was published in the journal Addiction involved 18,929 smokers over the course of a year, tracking their success in giving up smoking using different NRTs (nicotine replacement therapies).
It was found that over the counter NRTs such as patches, gum and lozenges were 34% more likely to help smokers kick the habit successfully, as opposed to e-cigarettes which were 95% more likely to be successful.
The research even found that those using varenicline, marketed under the name Champix, are 82% more likely to succeed, still substantially less than those using an e-cigarette.
What Does This Mean for Vaping?
The research has led to many charities calling for e-cigarettes to be made available on prescription, as they are currently only available through purchasing over the counter. Smoking is the main cause of preventable death in the UK, and also perpetuates the health inequality between rich and poor communities.
Making e-cigarettes available on prescription would not only help to lessen the burden of smoking on the NHS and help improve many people’s health, but it would also make effective stop smoking solutions more accessible in lower income locations, to those who may have otherwise ruled an e-cigarette out as an expense they couldn’t afford.
There is also many people calling for more awareness that some NRTs may not be very effective at improving their success at giving up, such as nicotine gum and patches which are widely available to purchase over the counter but can also be available on prescription.
There is concern that the NHS could be wasting millions every year on these less effective NRTs when they could be investing this money in more effective solutions such as e-cigarettes.
A tobacco addiction researcher involved in the study at King's College London, Dr Debbie Robson, stated that;
'They [smokers] may well be better off investing in alternative nicotine replacement such as e-cigarettes.'
Dr Debbie Robson - King's College London
It has also highlighted something that has been uncovered in many other, smaller studies; that face to face support like the support available in stop smoking clinics, combined with effective NRTs is the most successful way for smokers to kick the habit for good.
These findings are beneficial to the vaping industry as it helps raise awareness that not only are e-cigarettes 95% safer than smoking, but they are also one of the most effective ways to give up smoking. The 3 million people who have made the switch in the UK are also testament to this, and hopefully this new research will encourage more people to consider giving up with the help of an e-cigarette.
If you are considering giving up smoking and would like to find out if vaping would work for you, pop in to your local Evapo store and speak to a member of our team.
Sources:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/add.14656
