A new study conducted by the University of East Anglia's Norwich School of Medicine, published in the Journal of Harm Reduction, suggests e-cigarettes can help smokers quit and may be better able to stay smoke-free in the long term.
The study authors conducted in-depth interviews with 40 e-cigarette users and covered each participant's smoking history, e-cigarette Settings (including juice preferences), how they discovered e-cigarettes and previous attempts to quit.
Of the 40 e-cigarette users at the end of the study:
Thirty-one used only e-cigarettes (19 reported minor lapses),
6 reported relapses (5 dual use)
Three participants had completely quit smoking and smoking
The study also provides evidence that smokers who try e-cigarettes may eventually give up, even if they start with no intention of quitting.
Most e-cigarette users interviewed said they were rapidly switching from smoking to vaping, while a smaller segment was gradually switching from dual use (cigarettes and e-cigarettes) to vaping only.
While some participants in the study occasionally returned to smoking, whether for social or emotional reasons, relapses generally did not cause participants to switch back to full-time smoking.
E-cigarettes are at least 95 per cent less harmful than smoking and they are now the most popular smoking cessation aid in the UK.
Lead researcher Dr Caitlin Notley from UEA Norwich Medical School
However, the idea of using e-cigarettes to quit smoking, especially for long-term use, remains controversial.
We found that e-cigarettes may support long-term smoking cessation.
Not only does it substitute for many of the physical, psychological, social and cultural aspects of smoking, but it is pleasurable in its own right and more convenient and cheaper than smoking.
But what we find really interesting is that vaping may also encourage people who don't even want to quit to finally quit.
Dr. Caitlin Notley continues to comment
Here's the conclusion of the study, and it pretty much sums everything up:
Our data suggest that e-cigarettes may be a unique harm-reduction innovation for preventing smoking relapse.