Adults who vape are more likely to quit cigarettes, study finds

CNN — Adult smokers who vape are more likely to quit using cigarettes, according to a study released Monday. “This study is the first to point out that even if smokers may succeed in stopping smoking with the aid of electronic cigarettes, they still need to be monitored by doctors and health professionals to prevent a relapse in the long term,” said Ramchandar Gomajee, the paper’s lead author and a researcher at France’s Pierre Louis Institute of Epidemiology and Public Health. “Thus, while use can help persons reduce their smoking levels in the short term,” the researchers wrote, “there is no evidence that it is an efficacious smoking cessation aid in the long term.” Newer e-cigarettes may reduce the risk of relapse The study did find that the heightened risk of relapse disappeared in those who quit smoking more recently, which the researchers said may be due to improved e-cigarette technology. Other “technical improvements in over time,” they said, may also explain why people who recently quit smoking and switched to e-cigarettes were less likely to relapse than those who quit earlier. Devices used years earlier “bear no resemblance to current technology,” he said, “so using ancient data is not particularly helpful to understanding whether vaping products can help smokers quit today.” The great vape debate It’s unclear why vaping heightened the risk of relapse in some former smokers, but Gomajee noted that “ who are using electronic cigarettes are still addicted to nicotine.” If they have withdrawal symptoms but can’t vape, or if their vape isn’t satisfying, then “they are likely to smoke again,” he said.