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EMBARGOED UNTIL 2:30 p.m. ET (February 8, 2011)
Contact: Dr. Michael Siegel (617-638-5167; mbsiegel@bu.edu)
A new study being published online ahead of print today in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine reports that electronic cigarettes are a promising tool to help smokers quit, producing six-month abstinence rates that are better than those for traditional nicotine replacement products (NRT). In a six-month follow-up survey of 222 first-time purchasers of Blu electronic cigarettes, researchers from the Boston University School of Public Health found that 31.0% of respondents reported having quit smoking. This compares favorably to an average six-month abstinence rate of between 12% and 18% for NRT products. The authors conclude that electronic cigarettes are a promising method for smoking cessation. The study was led by Dr. Michael Siegel, Professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the Boston University School of Public Health.
The authors conducted an internet-based survey of a sample of first-time purchasers of Blu electronic cigarettes six months after the initial purchase. The primary findings were the following:
· 31.0% of the respondents reported having quit smoking at six-month follow-up.
· Of those who had quit smoking, 34.3% had discontinued the use of electronic cigarettes as well.
· 66.8% of respondents reported having reduced the number of cigarettes they smoked after using electronic cigarettes.
· 66.8% of respondents reported having quit smoking for a period of time after using electronic cigarettes.
· Among respondents using electronic cigarettes frequently (more than 20 times per day), the six-month smoking abstinence rate was 70.0%.
The studys main limitation is the low response rate of 4.5%. It is possible that those who responded to the survey were more likely to have quit smoking than those who did not respond. Nevertheless, despite this limitation, the study authors believe that this is the best evidence to date on the effectiveness of electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation. They point out that this is the first survey which relied upon an unbiased sampling frame. Despite the limitation, the authors conclude that electronic cigarettes hold promise as a smoking-cessation method and that they are worthy of further study using more rigorous research designs.
Dr. Siegel suggested that a major reason for electronic cigarettes apparent effectiveness as smoking cessation method is the fact that these devices address both the pharmacologic and behavioral aspects of addiction to smoking: While it is well-recognized that nicotine plays a role in smoking addiction, little attention has been given to the behavioral aspects of the addiction. It is the fact that these devices simulate the smoking experience which appears to make them effective as a smoking cessation tool.
A number of anti-smoking groups have argued that electronic cigarettes should be removed from the market because they have not been shown to be effective for smoking cessation, and several states including New York are considering bans on electronic cigarettes. This study suggests that electronic cigarettes are helping literally thousands of ex-smokers to remain off cigarettes, Dr. Siegel stated.
Banning this product would invariably result in thousands of ex-smokers returning to cigarette smoking. Removing electronic cigarettes from the market would substantially harm the publics health.
Co-authors of the study were Kerry L. Tanwar and Kathleen S. Wood, also of the Boston University School of Public Health.
Michael Siegel, MD, MPH
Professor
Department of Community Health Sciences
Boston University School of Public Health
801 Massachusetts Avenue, 3rd Floor
Boston, MA 02118
617-638-5167
Contact: Dr. Michael Siegel (617-638-5167; mbsiegel@bu.edu)
Electronic Cigarettes Show Promise as a Smoking Cessation Tool:
New Study Finds Electronic Cigarettes More Effective Than NRT for Quitting Smoking
A new study being published online ahead of print today in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine reports that electronic cigarettes are a promising tool to help smokers quit, producing six-month abstinence rates that are better than those for traditional nicotine replacement products (NRT). In a six-month follow-up survey of 222 first-time purchasers of Blu electronic cigarettes, researchers from the Boston University School of Public Health found that 31.0% of respondents reported having quit smoking. This compares favorably to an average six-month abstinence rate of between 12% and 18% for NRT products. The authors conclude that electronic cigarettes are a promising method for smoking cessation. The study was led by Dr. Michael Siegel, Professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the Boston University School of Public Health.
The authors conducted an internet-based survey of a sample of first-time purchasers of Blu electronic cigarettes six months after the initial purchase. The primary findings were the following:
· 31.0% of the respondents reported having quit smoking at six-month follow-up.
· Of those who had quit smoking, 34.3% had discontinued the use of electronic cigarettes as well.
· 66.8% of respondents reported having reduced the number of cigarettes they smoked after using electronic cigarettes.
· 66.8% of respondents reported having quit smoking for a period of time after using electronic cigarettes.
· Among respondents using electronic cigarettes frequently (more than 20 times per day), the six-month smoking abstinence rate was 70.0%.
The studys main limitation is the low response rate of 4.5%. It is possible that those who responded to the survey were more likely to have quit smoking than those who did not respond. Nevertheless, despite this limitation, the study authors believe that this is the best evidence to date on the effectiveness of electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation. They point out that this is the first survey which relied upon an unbiased sampling frame. Despite the limitation, the authors conclude that electronic cigarettes hold promise as a smoking-cessation method and that they are worthy of further study using more rigorous research designs.
Dr. Siegel suggested that a major reason for electronic cigarettes apparent effectiveness as smoking cessation method is the fact that these devices address both the pharmacologic and behavioral aspects of addiction to smoking: While it is well-recognized that nicotine plays a role in smoking addiction, little attention has been given to the behavioral aspects of the addiction. It is the fact that these devices simulate the smoking experience which appears to make them effective as a smoking cessation tool.
A number of anti-smoking groups have argued that electronic cigarettes should be removed from the market because they have not been shown to be effective for smoking cessation, and several states including New York are considering bans on electronic cigarettes. This study suggests that electronic cigarettes are helping literally thousands of ex-smokers to remain off cigarettes, Dr. Siegel stated.
Banning this product would invariably result in thousands of ex-smokers returning to cigarette smoking. Removing electronic cigarettes from the market would substantially harm the publics health.
Co-authors of the study were Kerry L. Tanwar and Kathleen S. Wood, also of the Boston University School of Public Health.
Michael Siegel, MD, MPH
Professor
Department of Community Health Sciences
Boston University School of Public Health
801 Massachusetts Avenue, 3rd Floor
Boston, MA 02118
617-638-5167
