‘E-cigarettes’ can improve the success rate of people trying to quit smoking by 60% compared with nicotine patches and gum or relying on will power alone, research has shown.
The findings follow a survey of 5,863 smokers in England who had attempted to stop smoking without the aid of prescription medication or professional support.
A fifth of those using e-cigarettes reported having quit “real” cigarettes at the time of the study.
The research, published in the journal Addiction, suggests e-cigarettes could play a positive role in reducing smoking rates, say experts.
Study leader Robert West, from University College London, said: “E-cigarettes could substantially improve public health because of their widespread appeal and the huge health gains associated with stopping smoking.
“However, 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 same team, chiefly funded by Cancer Research UK, also found that most e-cigarette use involved first-generation ‘cigalike’ products rather than newer devices that use refillable cartridges and a wider choice of nicotine concentrations and flavours.
Co-author Jamie Brown, also from University College London, said: “We will continue to monitor success rates in people using e-cigarettes to stop smoking to see whether there are improvements as the devices become more advanced.”
Source: Evelyn Ring and John von Radowitz, Irish Examiner, 21/05/14
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