WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A review published in the Cochrane Database has found that smokers who want to quit may have a better chance of succeeding by using nicotine e-cigarettes.
'Quitting smoking is hard and a lot of people who smoke will have tried many times to quit smoking and been unsuccessful,' said lead author Nicola Lindson of the University of Oxford.
'For that reason, it is important that there are a number of different options available to help somebody quit, which could encourage them to keep trying.'
Researchers from the team reviewed 80 major studies involving nearly 30,000 people. They found that nicotine vapes helped more people quit smoking than traditional methods such as nicotine patches, gum and other support. About 10 out of every 100 people using nicotine e-cigarettes were able to quit, compared with around 6 out of 100 using other nicotine replacement methods.
'Unlicensed e-cigarettes are potentially dangerous, with issues including unstable batteries and harmful chemicals,' cautioned study author Dr Jamie Hartmann-Boyce.
'Anyone looking to use e-cigarettes to quit smoking should only purchase devices that have been tested and approved by their country's regulatory body.'
Nicotine e-cigarettes were also more effective than e-cigarettes without nicotine, helping about 2 additional people out of every 100 quit smoking. However, the researchers noted that switching to non-nicotine vapes later could help people gradually reduce their nicotine use.
Overall, the review provides strong evidence that nicotine e-cigarettes can be an effective tool for quitting smoking. However, it does not examine whether people who quit smoking with the help of vapes eventually stop vaping or overcome their nicotine dependence.
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