Summary
Introduction:
This text is a summary of a study examining the effectiveness of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) as a smoking cessation tool. The study was conducted through an online survey of smokers who had tried e-cigarettes. The key points and main message of the text are summarized below.
Key Points:
* The study found that the 6-month point prevalence of smoking abstinence among e-cigarette users was 31.0% (95% CI=24.8%, 37.2%).
* Nearly half (48.8%) of respondents indicated that they quit smoking for a period of time after trying e-cigarettes.
* More than two thirds (66.8%) of respondents reported having reduced the number of tobacco cigarettes they smoked per day after trying e-cigarettes.
* Of those who were not smoking at 6 months, 56.7% were using e-cigarettes, 9.0% were using tobacco-free nicotine products, and 34.3% were completely nicotine-free.
* Smoking abstinence rates generally increased with higher frequency of e-cigarette use, with more than two thirds (70.0%) of respondents using e-cigarettes more than 20 times per day being nonsmokers at 6 months.
* The study has limitations, including a low survey response rate, self-reported abstinence not verified using biochemical methods, and only users of one brand of e-cigarettes were surveyed.
Main Message:
The study suggests that e-cigarettes may hold promise as a smoking cessation method, but further studies with more rigorous research designs are warranted. The distinct and unique advantage of e-cigarettes is that they allow individuals to simultaneously address nicotine withdrawal, psychological factors, and behavioral cues that serve as barriers to smoking abstinence. If proven safe, e-cigarettes may be a potentially important tool for harm reduction, especially among smokers who have found currently available pharmaceutical smoking cessation options to be ineffective. The study suggests that this alternative approach to smoking cessation is worthy of further investigation.
Citation
Siegel, Michael B., Kerry L. Tanwar, and Kathleen S. Wood. “Electronic Cigarettes As a Smoking-Cessation Tool.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine 40, no. 4 (April 2011): 472–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2010.12.006.
