A Cochrane review of 80 trials indicates nicotine e-cigarettes are more effective for smoking cessation than traditional aids like patches and gum.
Key facts
- •Nicotine vapes increased the success rate of quitting smoking from 6% to 10%.
- •The review analyzed 80 major trials involving nearly 30,000 people.
- •Around 5.4 million adults in the UK use vapes, while 5.3 million smoke cigarettes.
- •Smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death, killing over seven million people annually according to the WHO.
- •Long-term risks of vaping remain unclear, and experts advise that non-smokers and children should avoid the practice.
A major review by the Cochrane team has concluded that nicotine e-cigarettes offer smokers the best chance of quitting. By analyzing 80 trials involving nearly 30,000 participants, researchers found that nicotine vapes increased the success rate of quitting by approximately 60% compared to traditional methods like nicotine patches or gum.
By the numbers
Effectiveness and Safety
The study found that nicotine vapes outperformed both traditional nicotine replacement therapies and non-nicotine vapes. While experts note that vaping is not entirely risk-free, they emphasize it is significantly safer than smoking tobacco. The review identified no evidence of increased risk of serious harm from using regulated e-cigarettes for cessation purposes.
Regulatory Warnings
The findings apply specifically to regulated devices that comply with safety laws. Researchers and health experts warn against using unregulated products, which may contain illicit substances or feature unstable batteries. Dr. Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, an author of the report, advised that individuals should only purchase devices tested and approved by national regulatory bodies.
Public Health Context
In the UK, the number of adults using vapes has surpassed the number of cigarette smokers, with approximately 5.4 million daily or occasional vapers compared to 5.3 million smokers. Despite the potential benefits for smokers, health officials maintain that children and non-smokers should not vape, and doctors have called for vaping products to be made less attractive to youth.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by BBC Health.
