Vapes Better than NRTs

The scientists searched for studies looking at the use of vapes for stopping smoking. They looked for ‘randomised controlled trials’ because in these studies, people are given a treatment at random, which makes the results more reliable.  They conducted what is called a systematic review, which means they looked for all relevant studies and reviewed and analysed the results.

The studies compared nicotine vaping products with NRTs like gums, patches and lozenges; heated tobacco products; non-nicotine vapes; counselling and advise; no treatment and a medicine used for stopping smoking called varenicline.

NRTs are medicinally approved products that, like vapes, provide nicotine without smoke and therefore without the dangerous chemicals in cigarette smoke. NRTs have been widely used for fifty years but with limited success¹.

The results show that:

• People using nicotine vapes are more likely to stop smoking for 6 months than those NRTs or non-nicotine vapes.
• Nicotine vapes also helped more people stop smoking than behavioural support (counselling etc)
• Those who vaped (nicotine) or used NRTs had similar side effects such as headache and mouth irritation, but these effects reduced over time.

These results confirm those of previous studies conducted by researchers at Kings College London, which also showed that vaping is better than NRT for stopping smoking.

Cochrane reviews are ongoing and the scientists who do them are always looking for more information, particularly as newer devices with better nicotine delivery come on the market. Cochrane Reviews are considered to be the gold standard in health care and health policy.

The study was done jointly by scientists from the University of Oxford in the UK and the University of Massachusetts in the US.