Summary
Introduction:
This article summarizes a study on the impact of providing smokers with free e-cigarettes as a means of smoking reduction and cessation. The study found that providing free e-cigarettes to smokers resulted in a significant reduction in cigarette consumption and an increase in smoking abstinence rates.
Key Points:
* The study provided 72 adult smokers with a refillable tank-style e-cigarette and assessed their smoking patterns over a 90-day period.
* The response rate was 87%.
* After 90 days, the complete abstinence rate was 36.5%, up from 0% at baseline.
* The frequency of daily smoking reduced from 88.7% to 17.5%.
* The median consumption of cigarettes/day reduced from 15 to five.
* The median number of days per month that participants smoked also reduced from 30 to 13 after 90 days.
* The Blu Pro e-cigarette was found to be acceptable by study participants, with 81.0% continuing to use it for the entire 90 days.
Main Message:
The study suggests that there may be value in smoking cessation services and other services ensuring that smokers are provided with e-cigarettes at zero or minimal costs for at least a short period of time. This could be a promising approach to help smokers reduce or quit smoking, contributing to improved public health outcomes. However, further research is needed to confirm these findings and determine the long-term effects of this intervention.
Citation
McKeganey, Neil, Joanna Astrid Miler, and Farhana Haseen. “The Value of Providing Smokers with Free E-Cigarettes: Smoking Reduction and Cessation Associated with the Three-Month Provision to Smokers of a Refillable Tank-Style E-Cigarette.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 15, no. 9 (September 3, 2018): 1914. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15091914.
