Electronic cigarette use as an aid to quit smoking: Evidence from PASSI survey, 2014-2021.

Introduction:
This text summarizes a cross-sectional study on the effectiveness of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) as an aid to quit smoking, using data from the 2014-2021 PASSI survey in Italy. The study categorized smokers who attempted to quit in the previous 12 months into four groups based on the method used in their most recent quit attempt. The primary outcome was self-reported abstinence for a period of six months or more.

Key Points:

* A total of 239,812 subjects were included in the study, with 19,234 subjects reporting a quit attempt in the previous 12 months.
* Thirteen percent of participants used e-cigarettes to quit, while 83% used no aid, 2% used medications/SCSs, and 3% used other unspecified methods.
* No significant difference in abstinence was observed between those reporting no aid and e-cigarette users (adjusted Prevalence Ratio [aPR] 0.93; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.79 – 1.10).
* Those using medications/SCSs were significantly more likely to report abstinence than e-cigarette users (aPR 1.35; 95% CI 1.01 – 1.81).
* E-cigarettes as consumer products are not associated with higher quitting rates than those recorded using no aid.
* The study found no health benefit for allowing e-cigarettes to be marketed to smokers based on their effectiveness in helping smokers quit.
* The study suggests that licensing e-cigarettes as prescription therapy and allowing their use under prescription only may be a solution to reduce their use as consumer products.

Main Message:
The study found that e-cigarettes as consumer products are not more effective in helping smokers quit than no aid, and therefore, there is no health benefit for allowing them to be marketed to smokers. The study suggests that licensing e-cigarettes as prescription therapy and allowing their use under prescription only may be a solution to reduce their use as consumer products. This is an important message for regulators as they consider the role of e-cigarettes in tobacco control policies.

Gorini G, Carreras G, Lugo A, et al. Electronic cigarette use as an aid to quit smoking: Evidence from PASSI survey, 2014-2021. Preventive medicine. 2023;166:107391. doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.107391