Evidence against e-cigarettes for smoking cessation.

Introduction:
This text provides an analysis of the effectiveness of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation aid and discusses the associated health risks. The authors present evidence from various studies and provide recommendations for healthcare providers and patients.

Key Points:

* E-cigarettes have gained popularity, especially among youth, but their long-term adverse effects remain unclear.
* Studies have shown that e-cigarettes can be as effective as nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) in smoking cessation, but their use as a smoking cessation aid is not approved by the FDa in the US.
* a meta-analysis of 6 studies found that the use of e-cigarettes with nicotine was more effective than e-cigarettes without nicotine for smoking cessation.
* a randomized trial in the UK found that e-cigarettes were nearly twice as effective as NRT in smoking cessation, but participants were more likely to continue using nicotine long-term.
* E-cigarettes contain toxic chemicals, carcinogenic substances, and metals, which can lead to deoxyribonucleic acid destruction and respiratory illnesses.
* There is no approved pharmacotherapy for e-cigarette cessation, but varenicline has shown potential in helping with both smoking and vaping cessation.
* Pharmacists are encouraged to educate patients who vape about the potential health risks of vaping and direct them to approved pharmacotherapy and NRT options.

Main Message:
The use of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation aid should be discouraged due to insufficient evidence for e-cigarette cessation methods, the unavailability of approved pharmacotherapy interventions, and the growing number of adverse effects associated with e-cigarettes. Pharmacists play a crucial role in educating patients about the potential health risks of vaping and directing them to approved pharmacotherapy and NRT options. Further research is needed to determine a variety of approaches for e-cigarette cessation.

Teriba a, Mbama U, Sharma S, abraham a, Ndefo Ua. Evidence against e-cigarettes for smoking cessation. Journal of the american Pharmacists association : JaPha. 2021;61(5):e55-e58. doi:10.1016/j.japh.2021.05.001