Nicotine vapes best chance to quit smoking, major review finds
3 hours ago
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Smokers who want to quit have the best chance of doing so if they use nicotine e-cigarettes, a review has found
The Cochrane team looked at 80 major trials involving nearly 30,000 people and found that nicotine vapes were more effective than traditional aids such as patches, gum and support plans – increasing the success rate by about 60%, from around six in every 100 managing to quit smoking to one in every 10
They outperformed non-nicotine vapes too, although researchers say switching to these afterwards might help with weaning off nicotine
And they could prove more effective than the new anti-smoking pill cytisine, which the NHS has started to roll out – although more research is needed
Long-term risks not yet clear
Experts say vaping, although not entirely risk-free, is far safer than smoking
In the UK, there are now more over-16s using vapes or e-cigarettes than smoking cigarettes, figures show. Around 5.3 million people or 10% of adults say they smoke, while around 5.4 million use vapes daily or occasionally
The review of the most recent and best quality evidence to date applies to regulated vapes that are checked for quality and compliant with strict safety laws
It doesn’t look at unregulated ones that can contain illicit substances, like spice or THC
One of the report authors, Dr Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, cautioned: “Unlicensed e-cigarettes are potentially dangerous, with issues including unstable batteries and harmful chemicals
“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.”
The review found no evidence of any increased risk of serious harm from using e-cigarettes to quit
The long-term risks of vaping are not yet clear though, and the NHS says children and non-smokers should never vape
Doctors say vaping could lead to health harms in children and should be made “less attractive” to them
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Around two in three people who smoke long-term will die from a tobacco-related illness, says the charity Action on Smoking and Health
According to the World Health Organization, smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease and death, killing over seven million people a year
Quitting smoking reduces your risk of serious illnesses like heart disease, lung cancer, and stroke
Almost every local NHS stop smoking service provides vapes or other support to help people quit
You can search online for your local service with your postcode
Vapes could lead to health harms in children, doctors warn
Vapes to have less enticing names and flavours to protect children
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