E-CIGARETTES ARE MORE effective than other nicotine replacement treatments, such as patches and gum, at helping smokers to quit, according to the results of a recent clinical trial.
The study led by Queen Mary University of London, which involved almost 900 smokers who also received additional behavioural support, found that 18% of e-cigarette users were smoke-free after a year, compared to 9.9% of participants who were using other nicotine replacement therapies.
The trial – funded by the National Institute for Health Research and Cancer Research UK – was set-up to test the long-term efficacy of newer refillable e-cigarettes compared with a range of nicotine replacement treatments.
However, e-cigarettes are still not recommended to smokers who wish to quit by the HSE.
According to lead researcher, Professor Peter Hajek from Queen Mary University of London, this is the first trial to test the efficacy of modern e-cigarettes in helping smokers quit.
“E-cigarettes were almost twice as effective as the ‘gold standard’ combination of nicotine replacement products,” Hajek said.
Source: Adam Daly, The Journal, 31st January 2019