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The effectiveness of electronic cigarettes as an aid to quitting smoking

First published: 10 May 2019 | Last updated: 20 May 2019

The effectiveness of electronic cigarettes as an aid to quitting smoking

T. R. Partos, L. Brose, S.C. Hitchman & A. McNeill

Aims

Real-world research in England showed that smokers using e-cigarettes to quit were more likely to report abstinence than those using nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) purchased over-the-counter or no aid. Other research suggested newer generation e-cigarettes are more effective than older ones. We assessed the effectiveness of old and new generation e-cigarettes as an aid to quitting smoking.

Design

Cross-sectional study, aggregating data from three waves of an online survey, carried out Dec 2013, Dec 2014, and May/June 2016.

Setting

Panel managed by Ipsos Interactive Services.

Participants

Cigarette smokers, recent ex-smokers and vapers from Great Britain, selected using quotas to be representative of age, sex, and geographical region. 1675 participants (providing 2026 observations) had made a recent quit attempt and met selection criteria.

Measurements

Outcome: self-reported smoking vs quit completely.

Predictor: quit method on last attempt 1) self-help/no aid; 2) e-cigarette disposable/rechargeable cartridge (‘old’); 3) tank e-cigarette (‘new’); 4) NRT; [prescription medications, face-to-face behavioural support, e-cigarettes/NRT combination, don’t know excluded].

Covariates: dependence, quitting history, socio-demographics.

Analysis: multilevel logistic regression controlling for correlation among multiple responses provided by same individuals in different surveys.

Findings

Quitting: 31.2% no aid; 19.9% old e-cigarette; 38.0% new e-cigarette; 21.7% NRT. In fully-adjusted model, new e-cigarettes were significantly more effective than unaided quit attempts OR=2.19(95%CI:1.50,3.19) and NRT OR = 1.68(95%CI:1.01,2.80).

Conclusion

Newer electronic cigarettes were more effective at supporting quit attempts than using NRT or no aids/self-help.

Co-Authors

Dr Leonie Brose, Lecturer, Addictions Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience Dr Sara Hitchman, Lecturer, Addictions Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience

Conflicts of interest:

No conflict of interest

Report Author

Professor Ann McNeill

Professor of Tobacco Addiction


Ann McNeill is a Professor of Tobacco Addiction in the National Addiction Centre. She is Deputy Director of the UK Centre for Tobacco & Alcohol Studies (UKCTAS, www.ukctas.ac.uk) an international consortium of 13 universities funded by the UK Clinical Research Collaboration. Ann graduated from the University of Nottingham with a first class joint honours degree in zoology and psychology and then carried out her PhD at the Institute of Psychiatry, focusing on the development of dependence on smoking. Since that time she has held a variety of academic and public sector posts focusing largely on tobacco control research. Ann has an established international reputation, receiving a World Health Organisation World No Tobacco Day award for contributions to tobacco control in 1998. She has published more than 250 academic papers book chapters, reports and opinion pieces on the subject and her research ranges across prevention, cessation, harm reduction and local, national and international policy. Ann was a co-author of the recent systematic review of tobacco product packaging which underpinned the recent government consultation on plain packaging and has a particular interest in the relationship between smoking, mental health and inequalities. Ann is interested in any PhD students with an interest in all aspects of smoking and tobacco control research.

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