E-Cigarettes May Not Help You Give Up Smoking

Though many may pick up the e-cigarette in the hopes of kicking their smoking habit, a recent study shows that this device might not be the best option for those who wish to quit smoking. 

According to lead study author Rachel A. Grana, Ph.D., M.P.H., and colleagues from the University California, San Francisco, they looked to determine if electronic cigarettes were effective in helping smokers quits.

For the study, researchers analyzed self-reported data from 949 smokers. Eighty-eight of the smokers used electronic cigarettes before the study.

Findings showed that using the electronic cigarette did not increase the chances of successfully quitting following one year after the study's completion. The use of electronic cigarettes also did not decrease the chances of cigarette consumption one year later.

"When used by a broad sample of smokers under 'real world' conditions, e-cigarette use did not significantly increase the chances of successfully quitting cigarette smoking," said Dr. Pamela Ling, researcher and associate professor at the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education at University of California, San Francisco, via HealthDay.

However, researchers point out that the small sample of e-cigarette users involved in the study could have limited the findings.

"Nonetheless, our data add to the current evidence that e-cigarettes may not increase rates of smoking cessation. Regulations should prohibit advertising claiming or suggesting that e-cigarettes are effective smoking cessation devices until claims are supported by scientific evidence," said Mitchell H. Katz, M.D., via a related editor's note. "Unfortunately, the evidence on whether e-cigarettes help smokers to quit is contradictory and inconclusive. Grana and colleagues increase the weight of evidence indicating that e-cigarettes are not associated with higher rates of smoking cessation."

What do you think?

More information regarding the study can be found via JAMA Internal Medicine.