Nicotine vapes best chance to quit smoking, major review finds

Nicotine e-cigarettes offer smokers the highest chance of successfully quitting compared to traditional smoking cessation aids, according to a major review published by the Cochrane research group.

The comprehensive review evaluated 80 major trials involving nearly 30,000 participants. It revealed that nicotine vapes increased quitting success rates by approximately 60 percent compared to conventional methods such as nicotine patches, gum, and behavioral support plans. With nicotine vape usage, the success rate rose from roughly six out of every 100 people successfully quitting to ten out of 100.

The study found that nicotine-containing devices outperformed non-nicotine vapes as well as traditional therapies. Researchers suggested that switching to non-nicotine vapes after stopping tobacco could assist individuals in eventually weaning off nicotine entirely. Early evidence also indicates nicotine vapes may prove more effective than cytisine, a new anti-smoking medication recently introduced by the National Health Service in the United Kingdom, though researchers noted that further studies are required to confirm this comparison.

Although health experts emphasize that vaping is not completely risk-free, it is considered significantly safer than smoking traditional tobacco. The Cochrane review found no evidence of an increased risk of serious harm when using e-cigarettes to quit smoking. However, researchers stressed that these findings apply exclusively to regulated devices that comply with strict quality and safety laws, rather than illicit or unregulated products that may contain dangerous substances.

Dr. Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, one of the report's authors, warned against the use of unapproved devices. Unlicensed e-cigarettes are potentially dangerous, with issues including unstable batteries and harmful chemicals, Hartmann-Boyce said, adding that anyone looking to use e-cigarettes to quit smoking should only purchase devices that have been tested and approved by their country's regulatory body.

Health authorities continue to warn that the long-term health risks of vaping remain uncertain. The NHS maintains that non-smokers and children should never use e-cigarettes, while doctors caution that vaping could lead to health harms in children and recommend making devices less attractive to youth.

In the United Kingdom, usage of vapes has now surpassed traditional smoking among individuals aged 16 and older. Official figures indicate that approximately 5.4 million adults use vapes daily or occasionally, compared to around 5.3 million active smokers, representing roughly 10 percent of the adult population. Almost every local NHS stop-smoking service currently provides e-cigarettes or alternative support to assist individuals looking to quit.

Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death globally, killing more than seven million people annually, according to the World Health Organization. Data from the charity Action on Smoking and Health indicates that approximately two out of three long-term smokers will die from a tobacco-related illness. Quitting smoking significantly reduces the risk of severe health conditions, including heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer.