2023-08-27 20:59:11
Lead author Dr Matthew Carpenter from the University of South Carolina said whether e-cigarettes should be considered for smoking cessation is still a hot topic, although some countries, such as England consider the e-cigarette as a weaning aid (see “Swap to Stop” program).
However, the extremely diverse chemical compounds contained in e-cigarettes constitute a brake on this possible use in public health. Overall, however, studies find electronic cigarettes less harmful than traditional cigarettes, well associated with a dozen cancers as well as heart disease, stroke, diabetes or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) . In the United States as well, as in most countries, the electronic cigarette is not approved by the American Health Agency (FDA), as a nicotine substitute such as gum, lozenges or patches.
Electronic cigarettes, an option still possible for smoking cessation?
This is the conclusion of this new study, the largest trial ever conducted in the United States on the subject.
The study concludes that the use of the electronic cigarette encouraged smokers to quit and even those who have no intention of quitting. This is also a feature of this study, which included different types of smokers, whereas most of the previous studies that suggested a smoking cessation benefit from e-cigarettes had mainly recruited participants who wanted to quit smoking.
“It’s not a panacea for quitting smoking”,
specifies however the main author, surprised nevertheless to note that in all the hypotheses tested in the study, rather favorable results are confirmed: “regardless of the group of smokers taken into account, those who have used the e-cigarette demonstrate greater abstinence and fewer side effects compared to those who do not use it”.
The multi-site study reproduced real-world conditions as closely as possible by including among its participants smokers who wanted and did not want to quit. Then, very few instructions were given to the participants on how to use it. In other words, the participants received e-cigarettes and remained free to use them or not. A control group received nothing. After a 4-year follow-up, the analysis concludes that:
participants in the e-cigarette group are more likely to report total smoking cessation; more likely to reduce the number of cigarettes smoked per day; more likely to “quit attempts”, the number of attempts being a determining factor in quitting smoking, a smoker generally making several attempts before quitting;
These are therefore new positive data on the use of electronic cigarettes as a smoking cessation aid:
“we should not deny this option to adult smokers who cannot quit otherwise”,
conclude the authors.
A new study has been launched which will test e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation aid for adult smokers who have already tried, without result, different methods approved by the American health agency. The objective, first of all, to see if the electronic cigarette might be recommended for smokers who are “refractory” to other nicotine substitutes.
1693173395
#eCIGARETTE #smoking #cessation