Nicotine vapes best chance to quit smoking, major review finds

A major review has concluded that nicotine vapes are the most effective option for smokers looking to quit, significantly outperforming traditional aids such as patches, gum, and support plans. The Cochrane team analyzed 80 major trials involving nearly 30,000 individuals, discovering that nicotine vapes increased the success rate of quitting smoking by approximately 60%, from around six out of every 100 to one out of every 10.

Non-nicotine vapes also seemed less effective, although switching to them afterwards might aid in weaning off nicotine. The review supports the notion that vaping, despite not being entirely risk-free, is considerably safer than smoking. Currently, more adults in the UK use vapes or e-cigarettes than smoke cigarettes, with about 10% of adults in the UK smoking and 10% using vapes.

However, one of the report's authors, Dr. Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, warns that unlicensed e-cigarettes pose potential dangers due to unstable batteries and harmful chemicals. Therefore, only regulated vapes approved by the country's regulatory body should be used. The review found no evidence of increased risks of serious harm from using e-cigarettes to quit smoking, although the long-term risks of vaping are not yet clear.

The NHS advises that children and non-smokers should not vape, as there is currently insufficient evidence on potential health harm in these groups. Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death worldwide, killing over seven million people annually. Long-term smokers face a high risk of serious illnesses like heart disease, lung cancer, and stroke.

Quitting smoking significantly reduces this risk. The majority of local NHS stop-smoking services provide vapes or other support to help individuals quit. Those seeking to quit smoking can search online for a local service using their postcode.