ANI |
Update: March 13, 2021 8:16 PM STI
London [UK], March 13 (ANI): To quit smoking, the daily use of electronic cigarettes can help an individual, suggest the results of a new study published by King’s College London.
The study also confirms their effectiveness compared to other methods of quitting smoking, including nicotine replacement therapy or medications.
Although the number of people who smoke in England has continued to decline in recent years, smoking remains the leading preventable cause of premature death and illness – killing nearly 75,000 people in England in 2019.
While electronic cigarettes have been around for over a decade, the evidence for their effectiveness in helping people quit smoking is still limited. Recent studies have produced inconsistent results or failed to measure important factors such as frequency of use or the effect of different types of e-cigarettes on attempts to quit smoking.
In their study funded by Cancer Research UK, the researchers analyzed data from an online survey of more than 1,155 people, which included smokers, ex-smokers who had quit in the year before the survey and users of electronic cigarettes.
Five waves of data were collected between 2012 and 2017. Researchers analyzed the effectiveness of e-cigarettes in helping to abstain from smoking for at least one month at follow-up, and at least one month of abstinence between first survey and subsequent follow-up. waves.
Published in the journal Addiction, the study found that people who used a rechargeable electronic cigarette every day to quit smoking were more than five times more likely to abstain from smoking for a month, compared to those who did not. were using no tools to quit smoking.
Likewise, people who used a disposable or cartridge electronic cigarette daily were three times more likely to quit smoking for a month, compared to those who did not use any aids.
Daily use of e-cigarettes was also more effective in quitting smoking than other evidence-based methods – including nicotine replacement therapy, drugs such as bupropion or varenicline, or any combination of these. aids. Neither method was associated with abstinence from smoking at follow-up, compared with no help at all. However, in the secondary analysis, prescription medicine was associated with achieving at least one month of abstinence from smoking.
Dr Mairtin McDermott, researcher at the National Addiction Center at King’s College London and lead author of the study, said: “Our results show that when used on a daily basis, e-cigarettes help people quit smoking, comparatively. to no help at all. according to previous research, showing that electronic cigarettes are a more effective aid in quitting smoking than nicotine replacement therapy and prescribed drugs.
“It is important that we regularly measure how often people use e-cigarettes, as we have seen that more sporadic use during follow-up – especially rechargeable types – was not associated with abstinence. “
Dr Leonie Brose, reader at the National Center for Substance Abuse, King’s College London, added: “Despite the World Health Organization’s (WHO) cautious stance on e-cigarettes, studies like ours show that they are still one of the most effective quitting aids available.
“WHO is particularly concerned about rechargeable electronic cigarettes, as they could allow the user to add harmful substances or higher levels of nicotine. However, we have shown that rechargeable types, in particular, are a problem. Very effective withdrawal aid when used daily., and this evidence should be considered in any future guidance regarding their use. “(ANI)