Electronic cigarettes dramatically boost a smokers’ chance of successfully quitting, say researchers today.
Professor Robert West of University College London, UK, says: "E-cigarettes could substantially improve public health because of their widespread appeal and the huge health gains associated with stopping smoking."
The findings may mark the first serious study of e-cigarettes, which have been controversial with public health campaigners.
Current guidance in the UK says that smokers should not be discouraged from switching to e-cigarettes if they believe it can help.
Writing in today’s (21 May) issue of the journal Addiction, Professor West reports on his study of 5,863 smokers surveyed between 2009 and 2014. All were attempting to quit without using prescription medication or professional help.
This showed that 20% of those using e-cigarettes had stopped smoking conventional cigarettes – a 60% improvement compared with those using over-the-counter nicotine replacement therapies such as patches or gum, or willpower alone.
The benefit of e-cigarettes remained when many other factors were taken into account, including age, level of nicotine dependence, previous attempts to quit, and whether quitting was gradual or abrupt.
Despite the findings, Professor West points out: "We should also recognise that the strongest evidence remains for use of the NHS stop-smoking services. These almost triple a smoker’s odds of successfully quitting compared with going it alone or relying on over-the-counter products."
The team also found that most people using e-cigarettes are choosing first generation "cigalike" products, rather than the more recent ones that have refillable cartridges and a range of nicotine concentrations and flavours.
"Some public health experts have expressed concern that widespread use of e-cigarettes could ‘re-normalise’ smoking," said Professor West.
"However, we are tracking this very closely and see no evidence of it. Smoking rates in England are declining, quitting rates are increasing and regular e-cigarette use among never-smokers is negligible."
Brown, J. et al. Real-world effectiveness of e-cigarettes when used to aid smoking cessation: a cross-sectional population study. Addiction 21 May 2014
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