New evidence shows e-cigarettes can help people stop smoking

Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, are a popular aid for quitting smoking, but it is taking time for scientific research to catch up and provide clear answers on how well they work, and whether they are safe to use for this purpose.

A new Cochrane review of the evidence, covering 50 studies and more than 12,000 participants, now provides greater confidence that e-cigarettes with nicotine can help more people to quit smoking than traditional nicotine replacement therapy (such as gums or patches) or e-cigarettes without nicotine. However, the evidence is of moderate certainty – and more studies are needed to confirm the degree of effect, particularly testing newer e-cigarette devices.

Cochrane author Jamie Hartmann-Boyce sets out the finding in today’s Conversation.