The Manila Times
ELECTRONIC cigarettes are more effective than traditional nicotine replacement therapies such as patches or gum in helping smokers quit, according to a growing body of scientific reviews. Researchers said quitting smoking remains difficult for many people despite widespread awareness of its health risks, but evidence increasingly points to nicotine e-cigarettes as a more effective cessation aid. “We found evidence that nicotine e-cigarettes help more people to stop smoking than nicotine replacement therapy. Nicotine e-cigarettes probably help more people to stop smoking than e-cigarettes without nicotine, but more studies are still needed to confirm this,” the researchers said. E-cigarettes, also known as vapes, are devices that heat a liquid containing nicotine and flavorings to produce vapor, allowing users to inhale nicotine without burning tobacco. Because combustion is avoided, regulated vape products expose users to significantly fewer harmful chemicals than conventional cigarettes. Other smoke-free alternatives, including heated tobacco products and nicotine pouches, also eliminate combustion and reduce exposure to toxic substances. A major review by the Cochrane Collaboration covering 104 studies and more than 30,000 adult smokers found that between 8 and 11 out of every 100 people using nicotine e-cigarettes successfully quit smoking. By comparison, about 6 in 100 quit using nicotine replacement therapy or non-nicotine e-cigarettes, while only 4 in 100 succeed without support. The review concluded that nicotine e-cigarettes can support smoking cessation for at least six months and are more effective than both traditional nicotine replacement therapies and non-nicotine e-cigarettes. Most of the studies analyzed were conducted in the United States and the United Kingdom. A separate 2022 review by the Cochrane Collaboration, which examined 332 studies involving over 157,000 participants, found that e-cigarettes ranked among the most effective tools for quitting smoking, alongside medications such as varenicline and cytisine. The analysis showed that 10 to 19 out of every 100 people using e-cigarettes were likely quit smoking, compared with 12 to 16 using varenicline, 10 to 18 using cytisine, and only 6 out of 100 without medication or e-cigarette support. “We are confident that e-cigarettes, cytisine, varenicline, nicotine replacement therapy and bupropion help people stop smoking,” the review said. Public health experts also pointed to evidence suggesting that vaping carries significantly lower health risks than smoking combustible cigarettes. John Britton, emeritus professor of epidemiology at the University of Nottingham, said studies show that exposure to carcinogens and oxidants among vapers is substantially reduced. “It is evident from multiple studies published to date that the levels of exposure to carcinogens and oxidants sustained by vapers are very low, indicating that the risks of vaping are likely to be very small. Smokers, in particular, can remain reassured that vaping is far less harmful than smoking,” he said. In a separate report, the Royal College of Physicians said e-cigarettes play a significant role in reducing smoking-related disease, death and health inequality. The group noted that vaping can support quit attempts, while cautioning against use among young people and those who have never smoked. The report, which drew on international data including randomized controlled trials and biomarker studies, concluded that e-cigarettes remain an important tool in efforts to reduce the global burden of tobacco use.
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