Spike in e-cigarette users, decline in tobacco smoking

30.9% of adult smokers who used e-cigarettes quit tobacco cigarettes. On the other hand, only 20% of smokers who did not use e-cigarettes quit smoking

New York: There has been an increase in the number of people switching to electronic cigarettes while quitting regular tobacco smoking, claims a study.

Previously, using electronic cigarettes did not lead to smoking cessation.

The new study led by a team from Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in New York, US, examined differences in real-world trends in population-level cigarette discontinuation rates from 2013 to 2021 in American adults.

Their findings, published in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research, found that quit rates changed between 2018 and 2021 than earlier years.

During this period, 30.9 per cent of adult smokers who used e-cigarettes quit tobacco cigarettes. On the other hand, only 20 per cent of smokers who did not use e-cigarettes quit smoking.

In contrast, between 2013 and 2016, smoking rates were statistically indistinguishable between people who used e-cigarettes (15.5 per cent) and those who did not (15.6 per cent).

“Our findings here suggest that the times have changed when it comes to vaping and smoking cessation for adults in the US,” said first author Karin Kasza, Assistant Professor of oncology in the Department of Health Behaviour at Roswell Park.

“While our study doesn’t give the answers as to why vaping is associated with cigarette quitting in the population today when it wasn’t associated with quitting years ago, design changes leading to e-cigarettes that deliver nicotine more effectively should be investigated. This work underscores the importance of using the most recent data to inform public health decisions,” Kasza added.