A new study finds smokers are more likely to quit successfully if they switch to vaping compared to other cessation methods.
The study, published by University of Bern researchers, observed over 1,200 habitual smokers for six months.
It found 60% of smokers who vaped had quit smoking after six months, compared to 40% who tried quitting without vaping.
“I'm a primary care doctor, and smoking cessation is a core element of my daily practice. So it's really important to know if people stop smoking, and I think that becoming really clear in the literature that it helps to quit smoking,” said lead researcher Dr. Reto Auer.
Study provided unlimited vape supply
The study divided 1,246 daily smokers into two groups:
- Intervention group: Given unlimited free vape products in flavors of their choice, along with counseling and other quitting aids like nicotine patches
- Control group: Received counseling and quitting aids only, no vapes
After six months, 60% of the vapers had quit smoking versus 40% of the control group.
“Those provided with e-cigarettes were nearly twice as likely to stop smoking compared to those who received standard care, without any significant increase in adverse health events or respiratory issues,” said Dr. Sarah Jackson of University College London, who was not involved in the study.
Balancing act between harm reduction and youth appeal
However, experts noted the need to balance vapes' effectiveness for quitting smoking with their appeal and risks to youth.
“It's a delicate balancing act because we want to make these products attractive to smokers to encourage them to switch, but not too attractive to young people who never smoked,” Jackson said.
Auer agreed: “It's the central conundrum we'll always have with e-cigarettes – helping smokers quit versus avoiding adolescents becoming addicted to nicotine.”
Long-term follow-up planned
The research team plans to follow participants for 5 years to further evaluate long-term outcomes of using vapes as a smoking cessation aid.
This will provide more insights into the safety and efficacy of vaping for quitting smoking over an extended period.
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