Use of Electronic Cigarettes to Aid Long-Term Smoking Cessation in the United States: Prospective Evidence From the PATH Cohort Study.

Introduction:
This text is a summary of a research study examining the effectiveness of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) as a smoking cessation aid in the United States. The study used data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study to compare long-term abstinence rates between a nationally representative sample of US smokers who tried to quit smoking with the help of e-cigarettes in 2016-2017, and a matched sample of US smokers who also tried to quit but without using e-cigarettes.

Key Points:

* The study used propensity score matching to control for potential confounding variables and estimate the causal effect of e-cigarettes on smoking cessation.
* The study found that e-cigarette users did not have higher rates of long-term abstinence from cigarette smoking compared to non-e-cigarette users.
* However, e-cigarette users were less likely to be long-term nicotine abstinent at follow-up, and this difference appeared to be due to high rates of continuing use of e-cigarettes among those who quit smoking cigarettes.
* The study estimated that about 13% of US smokers who made a quit attempt using e-cigarettes achieved long-term smoking cessation success, as did about 11% of US smokers who tried to quit without use of e-cigarettes.
* The study found that daily smokers were less likely to quit successfully than non-daily smokers, and the unadjusted observed association of e-cigarette use for cessation differed in direction between daily and non-daily smokers.
* The study's findings suggest that e-cigarettes may not be an effective cessation aid for adult smokers and instead may contribute to continuing nicotine dependence.

Main Message:
The main message of this study is that e-cigarettes may not be an effective smoking cessation aid for adult smokers. The study found that e-cigarette users did not have higher rates of long-term abstinence from cigarette smoking compared to non-e-cigarette users, and were less likely to be long-term nicotine abstinent at follow-up. The study's findings suggest that e-cigarettes may not be a silver bullet for smoking cessation and that further research is needed to determine their effectiveness as a cessation aid. Additionally, the study highlights the importance of considering potential confounding variables and using rigorous research designs to estimate the causal effect of e-cigarettes on smoking cessation.

Chen R, Pierce JP, Leas EC, et al. Use of Electronic Cigarettes to Aid Long-Term Smoking Cessation in the United States: Prospective Evidence From the PATH Cohort Study. American journal of epidemiology. 2020;189(12):1529-1537. doi:10.1093/aje/kwaa161