So much of the scientific research I write about for VICE is unrelated to me, personally. I’m not going to be mailing any mummified remains anytime soon, for instance, so that particular news story does not apply to me.
But a massive new study showing that vaping may be the most effective way to quit smoking cigarettes? That one I can personally attest to. Weaning myself off nicotine by gradually reducing the amount in my e-liquid is how I eventually got off nicotine for good.
And now, the science backs me up.
According to an updated review published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, researchers analyzed 80 randomized trials involving nearly 30,000 smokers and found that e-cigarettes containing nicotine helped more people quit than other nicotine replacement products like patches and gum.
Vaping May Be the Most Effective Way to Quit Smoking, Massive Review Finds
The difference wasn’t huge, but it was significant. For every 100 people trying to quit, roughly 8 to 10 using nicotine-filled vapes successfully stopped smoking, compared to about six using other nicotine replacement tools. Vaping also performed better than non-nicotine e- cigarettes and behavioral support alone.
Your doctor probably isn’t going to be prescribing you a vape anytime soon to help ease you off that pack of Marlboro Reds; I can personally recommend the tactic. The researchers focused their review on regulated nicotine e-cigarettes, and not the sketchy gas station vapes that make you look like you’re sucking on a McDonald’s Happy Meal toy.
One important note is that the studies only follow people for about six months, so we don’t know how many stayed cigarette-free in the long term. The study also wasn’t designed to figure out how effectively people can eventually quit vaping and nicotine itself. There’s also the mystery of what vaping is doing to you, and if it’s any better than cigarettes.
Vaping certainly isn’t harmless, but we do know the extent to which cigarettes can be dangerous. Until we get more concrete long-term evidence, vaping may not be doctor-recommended, but for now at least it’s a slightly less harmful alternative for getting yourself off cigarettes.
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