Vaping helps people stop smoking - even when they don't want to, according to new research from the University of East Anglia
England
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Can vaping help you quit smoking?
After one year, smoking cessation was confirmed by measures of exhaled carbon monoxide (which should be low if you’ve quit but high if you’re still smoking). Here’s what they found: Among those assigned to vaping, 18% had stopped smoking, while about 10% of those using nicotine replacement therapy had quit.
Why do so many smokers vape?
This is probably because vaping allows people to maintain the rituals they positively associate with smoking. For instance, in a small 2017 study, smokers developed a favorable perception of vaping devices “comparable with that of conventional cigarettes.”
Do electronic cigarettes help or harm smokers?
The FDA for the first time authorized an electronic cigarette to be sold in the United States. The agency signaled that the help certain vaping devices offer smokers to quit traditional cigarettes outweighs the risk of those vaping devices luring a new generation of smokers. We’re going to sort through this with Andrew Stokes.
Is vaping more harmful than smoking?
Of course, regular cigarettes are known to cause cancer and a host of other health problems. While considered less harmful than smoking tobacco, vaping isn’t risk-free. We know some, but not all, of its risks.
How effective is vaping for smoking?
Some studies have suggested that e-cigarette use can be modestly helpful for smokers trying to quit. For example, an analysis of 61 studiesfound that e-cigarette use was more effective than other approaches to quitting smoking. The study authors estimated that out of every 100 people who tried to quit smoking by vaping, nine to 14 might be successful. When only using other methods, such as nicotine patches or behavioral counselling, only four to seven smokers out of 100 might quit. A separate study suggests vaping may help smokers who aren’t able to quit reduce the number of cigarettes smoked per day— at least for six months, the duration of the study.
How many people in the US are vaping?
It’s not surprising: e-cigarette use, or vaping, has become remarkably popular in recent years. About 6% of adults in the US now report vaping. That’s about 15 million people, double the number from just three years ago. Of course, regular cigarettes are known to cause cancer and a host of other health problems.
Why did the FDA take this action?
How? By helping smokers quit.
How many people died from e-cigarettes in 2019?
Severe, potentially fatal lung injury. In 2019, doctors began seeing people who had recently vaped and developed shortness of breath, cough, fever, and extensive lung damage. Dubbed EVALI(e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury), more than 2,800 cases and 68 deaths were reported. The condition has been linked to vapors containing THC and a form of vitamin E (called vitamin E acetate) used as a thickening agent when vaping THC. Cases have fallen markedly since 2020. Possibly because of falling case numbers, the FDA announcement of new vaping products didn’t even mention EVALI, which seems odd. If you do vape, see these recommendationsto reduce the risk of EVALI.
How old do you have to be to vape?
An alarming number of middle-school and high-school age kidsreport vaping, despite the nationwide prohibition against selling e-cigarette products to anyone under age 18 (21 in some states). Its popularity is partly related to the marketing of flavors known to appeal to minors, such as bubblegum and berry-flavored products. According to one national survey, approximately 85% of teen vaping involved non-tobacco flavored products.
Is vaping safer than smoking cigarettes?
Despite claims that vaping is less harmful than smoking cigarettes and that it might help smokers quit, concern about its risks is well deserved.
Is vaping safe?
While considered less harmful than smoking tobacco, vaping is not risk-free, so the FDA’s recent announcement authorizing sales of new vaping products was surprising. Some research suggests e-cigarettes may help some people quit or cut back on smoking, but there are many concerns about their known and potential ...
Why do people pick up e-cigarettes?
You see some cigarette smokers pick up e-cigarettes for convenience, because of course cigarette smoking is not permissible in many areas, particularly inside, in stadiums, and so on. So for some people, it’s just a matter of convenience, for others, they’ve tried FDA-approved devices and therapeutics and they’re having trouble quitting, and they resort to e-cigarettes because of the satisfaction they feel with these products.
Do e-cigarettes help smokers quit?
Andrew Stokes: Well, thank you for having me, it’s a real pleasure to be here. In theory, e-cigarettes may help some smokers to quit. In particular, it may be an alternative for people who’ve tried other FDA-approved measures, such as nicotine replacement, and have failed with those solutions.
Is the FDA moving to get tobacco flavors off the market?
So, it does appear that the FDA has decisively moved to get flavors off the market. The caveat to that is that ultimately all devices are flavored in one way or another. One might say that even tobacco flavors will have appeal to youth. And in that sense, we’re certainly not in the clear even with these new decisions that have come through.
Do people use e-cigarettes?
The issue is that today at the population level in the United States, most people who are taking up e-cigarettes are switching to dual use of both cigarettes and e-cigarettes. While they may be reducing their cigarette consumption, we are seeing very few people in the population of cigarette smokers who are entirely switching from one device to the other.
Can Vaping Help You Quit Smoking?
With research and debate continuing about whether using e-cigarettes can actually help a person quit smoking traditional cigarettes, BU Today spoke with Andrew Stokes, a BU School Public Health assistant professor of global health.
How many vapers did the research team interview?
The research team carried out in-depth interviews with 40 vapers. They asked them about their tobacco smoking history and prior quit attempts, and about how they started vaping, their vape set up, preferred flavours and strength, and whether they had switched to vaping in attempt to quit smoking.
When was the unique contribution of e-cigarettes for tobacco harm reduction in supporting smoking relapse prevention published?
More information: 'The unique contribution of e-cigarettes for tobacco harm reduction in supporting smoking relapse prevention' is published in Harm Reduction Journal on June 20, 2018.
Can you stay smoke free with vaping?
A study published today shows that smokers who switch to vaping may be better able to stay smoke-free in the long term .
Do e-cigarettes contain nicotine?
E-cigarettes do still contain nicotine which is addictive, but it's not responsible for the major harms of smoking. This is why they have great potential as an aid to help people quit smoking for good.
Does vaping help smokers quit?
How vaping helps even hardened smokers quit. by University of East Anglia. Credit: Vera Kratochvil/public domain. Vaping helps people stop smoking—even when they don't want to, according to new research from the University of East Anglia. A study published today shows that smokers who switch to vaping may be better able to stay smoke-free in ...
What is a tank based e-cigarette?
Matthew Myers of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids noted that the British study used so-called tank-based e-cigarettes, which allow users to customize their flavors and nicotine levels. Those devices have largely been overtaken in the US by Juul and similar devices that have prefilled nicotine cartridges, or pods.
What percentage of e-cigarette users are still using the devices?
Borrelli noted that after one year, 80 percent of the e-cigarette users in the study were still using the devices. Nine percent of the participants in the other group were still using gums and other nicotine-replacement products. No vaping company has announced plans to seek FDA approval of their products as a quit-smoking aid.
How many people die from smoking a year?
Smoking is the No. 1 cause of preventable death worldwide, blamed for nearly 6 million deaths a year. Quitting is notoriously difficult, even with decades-old nicotine aids and newer prescription drugs. More than 55 percent of US smokers try to quit each year and only about 7 percent succeed, according to government figures.
How much is electronic cigarettes worth?
Electronic cigarettes, which have been available in the US since about 2007 and have grown into a $6.6 billion-a-year industry, are battery-powered devices that typically heat a flavored nicotine solution into an inhalable vapor.
Can vaping help you quit smoking?
Vaping really can help you quit smoking, study finds. WASHINGTON — A major new study provides the strongest evidence yet that vaping can help smokers quit cigarettes, with e-cigarettes proving nearly twice as effective as nicotine gums and patches. The British research, published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, ...
Does vaping help smokers quit?
At the same time, Rigotti and other experts cautioned that no vaping products have been approved in the US to help smokers quit.
Is vaping approved by the FDA?
No vaping company has announced plans to seek FDA approval of their products as a quit-smoking aid. Winning such an endorsement would require large studies that can take years and cost millions of dollars. The FDA has largely taken a hands-off approach toward vaping.
What is vaping in smoking?
‘Vaping’ means inhaling the water vapor produced by a personal vaporizer or electronic cigarette. This is not the same as smoking a regular cigarette because they have different burns. In vaping, the ingredients are heated to produce water vapor, while with cigarettes there is a production of smoke and ash.
What are the side effects of vaping?
Many people experience no side effects whatsoever when vaping, apart from the continued usage of nicotine. When side effects actually do happen, they tend to be temporary and easily resolved. The following side effects have been attributed to vaping: 1 Dry skin 2 Dry mouth 3 Rash / burning feeling on the face 4 Itchiness 5 Puffy/dry eyes 6 Caffeine sensitivity
What is the best way to introduce someone to vaping?
First, vape pens are the best way to introduce anyone to vaping. Since they are disposable and are one use. You don’t have to worry about refilling them and paying for any other supplies. The pens themselves are just a few dollars and will give you all the benefits of vaping that you want.
What is the density of nicotine in e-liquid?
The nicotine density of e-liquid is rated in mg/ml (milligrams per milliliter), often shortened to mg. If you have any doubts or extra concerns, we recommend that you start with a lower density and work your way up to the one you are comfortable with.
What is propylene glycol used for?
It is also used as a kind of a direct food additive in frozen foods such as ice cream and frozen desserts. It is used as a solvent in many oral, injectable and topical (cream or gel) formulations in pharmaceuticals.
What are the ingredients in a cigarette?
The ingredients can be divided into four elements: 80%-90% Vegetable glycerin (VG) base, which acts as a carrier for the flavor (and nicotine, if added), and is often mixed with propylene glycol (PG) and/or polyethylene glycol (PEG).
How does nicotine affect the body?
First, by releasing glucose from the liver and adrenaline from the brain, it actually causes stimulation in the body. Smokers or vapors report feelings of relaxation, sharpness, calmness, and alertness.
How effective are e-cigarettes?
E-cigarettes, with or without nicotine, were modestly effective at helping smokers to quit, with similar achievement of abstinence as with nicotine patches, and few adverse events.
How long does it take to quit smoking e-cigarettes?
The results showed that one in four smokers in the e-cig groups had quit smoking at three months, compared to one in ten in the control group. Researchers compared daily smoking at the end of the study between the three groups, and found that the nicotine e-cig group reduced smoking most, followed by the no nicotine e-cig group and finally the control group.
What percentage of Americans smoke in 2017?
There has been a similar decline in the US, with smoking rates falling from 19 percent in 2011 to 14 percent in 2017. Comparatively, in 2001, 22.8 percent of Americans smoked, and this declined to 19.8 percent by 2007, a smaller decline than we’ve seen during the rise of vaping. Researchers have also analyzed youth smoking rates amid the rise of vaping and found this same inverse relationship: when vaping increases, smoking decreases.
How many people smoke in the UK?
Public Health England estimates that there are about 6.1 million smokers in the England, with about 2.5 million vapers, 1.2 million of whom have quit smoking. Researchers have also used UK data to show a positive association between the use of e-cigarettes by smokers and success rates in quit attempts, so there is more to this than just a basic look at the population's smoking and vaping rates.
Does NRT help with smoking?
And the evidence suggests that this assumption is true, and NRT does help smokers quit (compared to cold turkey quitting). Similarly, evidence from Scandinavia strongly suggests that smokeless tobacco helps people stop smoking for the same reason.
Is vaping harmful?
No matter how much vaping reduces risks compared to smoking – which is generally considered to be by at least 95 percent – if it actually reduced quitting rates or didn’t improve them compared to cold turkey quitting or something like nicotine replacement therapy (NRT – like patches or gums), then it wouldn’t be much use. In fact, it would arguably even be harmful.
Does vaping reduce quitting?
Some of the most well-known groups and people to make this claim include the World Health Organization and Stanton Glantz, whose meta-analysis of quitting studies forms the basis of most claims that vaping actually reduces quitting rates.
