Understanding Use of E-cigarettes for Smoking Cessation Among a Sample of U.S. Adults

Introduction:
This article reports the findings of a survey conducted on 857 U.S. adults who have a history of regular cigarette smoking and have used e-cigarettes to quit smoking. The survey aimed to understand the reasons for using e-cigarettes for smoking cessation and the type of support that adults desire when trying to quit smoking.

Key Points:

* The most common reasons for using e-cigarettes to quit smoking include beliefs that vaping would be helpful for quitting, vaping is safer than smoking, and favorable comparisons relative to other nicotine replacement treatments.
* 23.8% of participants selected e-cigarettes because they were cheaper than other smoking cessation aids.
* 89% of participants reported still smoking cigarettes at the time of the survey.
* The most common information people wanted when quitting was advice on how to gradually reduce nicotine over time to become nicotine-free, how different vaping devices work, and what nicotine concentration to start with.

Main Message:
The study highlights the reasons for using e-cigarettes among those who have recently tried e-cigarettes for quitting smoking, and the components of e-cigarettes that were helpful. However, the majority of participants who attempted to quit smoking using an e-cigarette relapsed to smoking, indicating the gap in cessation support that can be filled with a greater understanding of the desired support. The findings may help to inform support programs, especially for individuals who are interested in using e-cigarettes to quit smoking. It is important to note that e-cigarettes are not approved as smoking cessation aids by the FDA, and information on the health effects of long-term use of e-cigarettes is still emerging.

Akshika Sharma, Meghan E Morean, Suchitra Krishnan-Sarin, Stephanie S O’Malley, Krysten W Bold, Understanding Use of E-cigarettes for Smoking Cessation Among a Sample of U.S. Adults, Nicotine & Tobacco Research, Volume 27, Issue 5, May 2025, Pages 926–931, https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntae251