Cochrane, the global independent medical research organisation, has concluded that there is ‘high certainty evidence’ that nicotine vaping is better at helping smokers quit cigarettes compared to NRT. It reviewed 90 studies, involving more than 29,000 adult smokers, from across the USA, UK and Italy and included evidence published up to February 2024.
The findings of the Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation review included:
- People are more likely to stop smoking for at least six months using nicotine e‐cigarettes than using nicotine replacement therapy (7 studies, 2544 people), or e‐cigarettes without nicotine (6 studies, 1613 people).
- Nicotine e‐cigarettes may help more people to stop smoking than no support or behavioural support only (11 studies, 6819 people).
- For every 100 people using nicotine e‐cigarettes to stop smoking, 8 to 10 might successfully stop, compared with only 6 of 100 people using nicotine‐replacement therapy, 7 of 100 using e‐cigarettes without nicotine, or 4 of 100 people having no support or behavioural support only.
- The unwanted effects reported most often with nicotine e‐cigarettes were throat or mouth irritation, headache, cough, and feeling sick. These appeared similar to those people experience when using NRT. These effects were reduced over time as people continued using nicotine e‐cigarettes.
The authors said: “There is high‐certainty evidence that e-cigarettes with nicotine increase quit rates compared to NRT and moderate‐certainty evidence that they increase quit rates compared to ECs without nicotine. Nicotine e‐cigarettes can help people to stop smoking for at least six months. Evidence shows they work better than nicotine replacement therapy, and probably better than e‐cigarettes without nicotine.
“They may work better than no support, or behavioural support alone, and they may not be associated with serious unwanted effects. However, we still need more evidence, particularly about the effects of newer types of e‐cigarettes that have better nicotine delivery than older types of e‐cigarettes, as better nicotine delivery might help more people quit smoking.”
