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La electronic cigarette Does it help you quit smoking? Are the advertisements that claim it does misleading?
A study conducted in the United States estimates that vapers (the name given to e-cigarette users) are no more likely to quit smoking than others. In fact, fewer...
Researchers from the University of California conducted a study (published in the JAMA Internal Medicine – Journal of the American Medical Association) of 949 smokers, 88 of whom reported also using an e-cigarette.
Their conclusion? "The evidence for the effectiveness of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation is conflicting and inconclusive.", according to Dr. Mitchell Katz, associate editor of JAMA Internal Medicine, who continues, "This study reinforces indications that they (e-cigarettes) are not linked to higher rates of smokers quitting.".
The results of the study
13% of cigarette smokers have quit smoking compared to 10% of e-cigarette smokers.
Limitations of the study
The study involved a small number of people smoking e-cigarettes, and as such cannot have any statistical value.
- It is not known whether the 88 vapers use e-cigarettes regularly or occasionally.
- The results do not specify the percentage of smokers (conventional or electronic cigarettes) who intended to quit smoking.
The debate remains open
Remember that the electronic cigarette, or e-cigarette, is a system producing flavored vapor with or without Nicotine.
If all doctors agree thatit is less harmful than a "real" cigarette, it remains nonetheless dangerous for health since it generally contains Nicotine (in variable doses, chosen by the consumer), and a certain number of chemical products.
The first danger of the e-cigarette is therefore its apparent harmlessness.
Concerning its effectiveness as an aid to smoking cessation, there is not yet sufficient experience to draw definitive conclusions.
This American study will at least have the merit of recalling the danger of advertising which suggests that the electronic cigarette is devoid of any health risk.
Find out more
Electronic cigarettes: better than tobacco, but...
Misconceptions about smoking
Effects of tobacco on our body
Smoking kills: why?
