*Smokers trying to quit may have better luck with e-cigarettes than with traditional aids like patches and gum, a major new Cochrane review suggests.
Dr. Nicola Lindson, the study’s lead author from the University of Oxford, said having multiple paths to quitting matters because so many people fail on early attempts. “Although nicotine vapes are unlikely to be completely risk-free, they are less harmful than smoking, and that is the most important comparison to make,” she said.
The review pulled together data from 80 randomized controlled trials and nearly 30,000 participants, with nine studies added in this latest round of analysis. Researchers calculated that switching to nicotine vapes helped about 4 people out of every 100 quit smoking compared to those using nicotine gum or patches.
Vapes also beat out non-nicotine versions by roughly 2 quitters per 100, and outperformed behavioral counseling or no support at all, though that particular comparison carries more uncertainty due to limitations in how those studies were designed.
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Dr. Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, the review’s senior author at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, said the latest batch of trials only strengthened existing conclusions. “We have very strong evidence that regulated nicotine e-cigarettes are substantially less harmful than smoking,” she said.
The review didn’t turn up signs that quitting through vaping carries greater health risks, though the authors want to see more long-term data before drawing firm conclusions. That said, the finding only applies to properly regulated, nicotine-based devices, not black-market products or those laced with other substances, per Cochrane.
“For somebody who is already addicted to nicotine through cigarettes, having a safer alternative like an e-cigarette is something worth considering, especially when other quit aids have proven unsuccessful,” Hartmann-Boyce said. “We are currently working on a review of interventions to help people quit vaping, which could be the next step along for people looking to transition to a lower-harm product before quitting nicotine altogether.”
Hartmann-Boyce cautioned that plenty of vapes sold today skip regulatory approval entirely. “Unlicensed e-cigarettes are potentially dangerous, with issues including unstable batteries and harmful chemicals,” she said, pointing smokers toward FDA and MHRA approval lists before making a purchase.
Smoking kills more than 7 million people worldwide each year, making it one of the deadliest preventable causes of death.
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