A new research study from University College London has examined the link between e-cigarette use and smokers' attempts to quit - and the success of those attempts.
The study, which covers data from 2007 to 2022, showed clear correlations between the increase in e-cigarette use and the increase in successful quit attempts.
E-cigarettes were introduced to the UK market in 2005, but it was only around 2011 that they started to gain a noticeable foothold. The first devices were disposable, often referred to as 'cigalikes', and were designed to mimic the look and feel of regular cigarettes. Over the 20 years that these products have been on the market, small devices have been replaced by large ones, large ones by small ones and, in recent years, the smallest models have returned to store shelves. As popularity has grown and products have evolved, research now suggests that e-cigarettes are becoming an increasingly effective way to quit smoking. The researchers behind a study from the Department of Behavioral Science and Health at University College London.
Effective tool
As Vejpkollen has written about regularly, previous research has shown that e-cigarettes can play a very positive role in smoking cessation. This is shown not least in so-called randomized control trials. But the authors at University College London want to look at the role of vejp from a different perspective. In particular, they point to the importance of complementing clinical research with observational studies to gain a more comprehensive understanding of effects over time.
More successful quit smoking attempts
One such study is "The Smoking Toolkit Study", a monthly survey that follows adults in England. It has been tracking vejpning and smoking cessation behaviors since 2006.
The researchers analyzed through that tool data from 67,548 people who had smoked in the past year, and found that the success rate of smoking cessation attempts increased by 0.040 percent for every 1 percent increase in e-cigarette use.
50 000 more people quitting every year
In plain language, this means that the number of successful quit attempts increased proportionally, the more people used vejp products as an aid.
According to the researchers, this suggests that vejpning may have contributed to further 30 000 to 50 000 people in England have managed to quit smoking, every year, since e-cigarettes became popular in 2013.
Want to understand the effects at population level
However, while increased use of e-cigarettes appears to be linked to increased success in quit attempts, it remains unclear whether vejpning has a direct impact on the rate of quit attempts, according to the study. Smokers who use e-cigarettes are more likely to quit smoking, but it is not yet known whether more people are actually trying to quit in the country as a whole. The researchers therefore emphasize the importance of further research to better understand the effects of e-cigarettes at the population level.
It works! Best thing I ever did... Smoked for 57 years. Tried snuff but my stomach couldn't handle it.now I just vape with only tobacco flavor.