U.S. Study Finds That E-Cigarettes Help Smokers Quit Cigarettes

Close up of a hand crushing a pack of cigarettes with white background

U.S. Study Finds That E-Cigarettes Help Smokers Quit Cigarettes

A new U.S. study conducted by the National Institutes of Health examining the correlation between the increase in the use of electronic cigarettes and the change in the overall smoking cessation rate of the population found that e-cig users were more likely to quit smoking when compared to those who didn’t use the smoking cessation device.

Instead of burning tobacco to release nicotine, e-cigarettes vaporize e-juice, a liquid solution containing a mixture of vegetable glycerin, propylene glycol, flavorings, and nicotine, although zero-nicotine options are also available and widely popular among vapers. Citing the many benefits of e-cigarettes such as the absence of smoke, tar, or lingering odor, the vaping industry has long been promoting them as an alternative to smoking combustible cigarettes.

Smoking rates in the U.S. have been declining for decades, aided in part by taxes on tobacco products and anti-smoking campaigns. Until recently, although other nicotine delivery options such as the nicotine patch or gum enjoyed support from the medical community, e-cigs were still reviled and deemed harmful by health authorities. However, the study, which is the largest review of available data on e-cig usage, adds credence to the claim that e-cigarettes can play a significant role in helping smokers quit.

Researchers analyzed and compared survey data from over 160,000 people over almost 15 years. The findings revealed that 65 percent of vapers had tried to stop smoking while only 40 percent of smokers who didn’t use e-cigs had. E-cig users were also more likely to successfully quit cigarettes for at least three months when compared to non-users, 8 percent versus 5 percent. The overall quit rate for 2014 and 2015 was 5.6 percent, an increase of 1.1 percentage point, which, although seems small, represents about 350,000 additional smokers who quit.

According to the study, the “substantial increase in e-cigarette use among US adult smokers was associated with a statistically significant increase in the smoking cessation rate at the population level. These findings need to be weighed carefully in regulatory policy making regarding e-cigarettes and in planning tobacco control interventions.”

Are you an ex-smoker who was able to successfully quit smoking because of e-cigarettes? Share your story with us by commenting below!

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