E-cigarettes, also known as electronic nicotine-delivery systems, are sometimes used by tobacco smokers to help them stop smoking. More research is needed to understand how well these devices work and if they are safe.
Clinical Trial
In this study, researchers did an open-label, controlled trial. They randomly chose adults who smoked at least five cigarettes a day and wanted to quit smoking. They put them into two groups: one got free e-cigarettes and e-liquids, along with regular counseling for quitting smoking and the option to buy nicotine-replacement therapy. The other group got only counseling and a voucher they could use for anything, including nicotine-replacement therapy.
Results
A total of 1246 people were in the study. About half were in each group. After 6 months, almost 29% of the group using e-cigarettes had completely stopped smoking, compared to about 16% in the other group. More people in the e-cigarette group had stopped smoking for at least 7 days before the 6-month mark, but fewer had stopped using any nicotine at all. Some people in both groups had serious or mild side effects, but it was a bit more common in the e-cigarette group.