E-Cigarettes Linked to Successful Smoking Cessation

 The use of e-cigarettes has been linked to successful smoking cessation attempts.

This finding, published today in the British Medical Journal, runs counter to concerns that e-cigarettes undermine the motivation to quit and attempts to stop smoking.   Observational research estimates that e-cigarette use may have resulted in 18,000 long-term quitters in England last year.   “Although these numbers are relatively small, they are clinically significant because of the substantial health benefits of quitting smoking,” the authors said.   They noted that a smoker who quits at age 40 can expect to gain nine years of life compared with someone who continues smoking.   However, as with any observational study, no firm conclusions about causality can be drawn, they said.   Researchers at University College London evaluated data from the Smoking Toolkit Study, a household survey involving individuals aged 16 and over in the UK.   They found a positive correlation between the popularity of e-cigarette use in the UK and changes in the success rate of quit attempts.   However, e-cigarette use during quit attempts was negatively associated with the use of prescription nicotine replacement therapy.   The authors believe that patients using e-cigarettes may already have tried nicotine replacement therapy, but more research is needed to confirm this.   Anti-smoking advocacy group ASH Ireland welcomed the research as providing additional information on the “possible uses and potential” of e-cigarettes.   However, ASH Ireland chairman Dr. Patrick Doorley said that e-cigarettes are still relatively new to the market, making it impossible to determine the balance of “risks and benefits” over the medium to longer term.   ASH Ireland is keeping the e-cigarette market and related research under continuous review.   Dr. Doorley said that e-cigarettes are generally considered safer than combustible tobacco products, but there are still concerns about their safety, not least because their long-term health effects remain unknown.   “ASH Ireland urges caution in the use of e-cigarettes until more information is available and stricter regulation is in place,” he said.   “We recognize that many people are now turning to e-cigarettes to help them quit smoking. It is very important that these smokers understand that even authorities who recommend e-cigarettes acknowledge that they may cause harm, while nicotine replacement products available in pharmacies have been proven effective and safe.”   ASH Ireland advises those who choose to use e-cigarettes to do so only as a means to quit smoking completely, as the best thing smokers can do to improve their health is to stop smoking altogether.