E-cigarettes don’t help smokers quit, study suggests

Despite the hype that surrounded electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, they failed to help smokers quit the harmful habit, a new South Australian research claims.

E-cigarettes are described as devices for making mists for inhalation, which usually simulate the act of cigarette smoking. They are marketed as an option to help people quit smoking, or as a tobacco replacement.

The small study utilised data from Cancer Council SA’s Quitline callers during an eight-month period, according to a report that appeared in ABC. Presented at the 2015 Oceania Tobacco Control Conference in Perth, the research involved 36 people using e-cigarettes, 36 clients reporting previous use and 15 who had not used the devices.

Participants said they used e-cigarettes that did not contain nicotine cartridges, with some using the devices in conjunction with other pharmacotherapies. Most e-cigarette smokers also reported that the devices failed to help reduce their cravings or quit, said Lauren Maksimovic, Cancer Council SA manager of tobacco control.

“A majority of the people reported that they were using them to try to quit attempts. They were also using them to replace the hand to mouth action ... and what we found was that didn’t help them to quit smoking,” Maksimovic said in an interview with ABC. Instead, the study’s participants found that using e-cigarettes was too similar to smoking, and said that it actually enhanced their habit.

In addition to believing there is no evidence that e-cigarettes reduce smoking, Maksimovic said the council remained concerned about the potential harm the devices may lead to.

The Australian government also expressed its concerns about the use of electronic cigarettes, since the impact of wide scale use of these devices is unknown, as cited in the web site of the health department’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).

E-cigarettes are classified as unapproved, according to TGA, unlike Nicotine Replacement Therapy products, which have been authorized to be used as aids in withdrawal from smoking. Since no assessment of electronic cigarettes has been undertaken, TGA says that the quality and safety of electronic cigarettes is not known.

In a statement issued in March 2015, the National Health and Medical Research Council said that there is currently insufficient evidence to conclude whether e-cigarettes can benefit smokers in quitting, or about the extent of their potential harms. The organisation recommended that health authorities act to minimise harm until evidence of safety, quality and efficacy can be produced. It is currently funding research into the safety and efficacy of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation.

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