New Vaper - Just joined and wanted to discuss Polosa's report

[Tache]

Hi!

Tache here. Started vaping June 7th and have been "lurking" on this site ever since.

I was very interested to read the news report on Polosa's study and wanted to discuss it on the forum. Unfortunately, new members cannot post in threads other than this one - so I hope it's ok to put in comments that would properly show up in a different thread.

The way I read the results, it actually shows a 25% quitting rate if you add up the three groups (7.2 mg, 7.2 mg dropped to 5.4 mg, and 0 mg with just tobacco flavoured juice), not simply the 13% from the first group. To me, that is an amazing result - far outstripping the 5% success rate I've seen bandied about for other smoking "cessation aids". It would be really interesting to see what the results would have been if they provided a group with 18 mg or 24 mg juice. I would suspect that the quitting rate would have been double or even treble based on what I've seen happen with the denizens of the "smoke pit" at my workplace. We've seen six out of eleven switch to vaping exclusively, although it hasn't been a full year yet for all of us.

Any thoughts, or have I misread what the report was saying.

 

[GaryInTexas]

I believe this is the report that Tache is referring to; Polosa To Announce Results of Study | Ecig Advanced News .
I noted that this was also with people you were not planning or wanting to quit smoking.

 

[Tache]

Sorry, I should have put a link to the actual news story.

Vocalek's post in the Media and General News thread had this link to the news story on the released results.

E-cigarette study hints at quit-aid potential

 

[kiwivap]

Hi!

Tache here. Started vaping June 7th and have been "lurking" on this site ever since.

I was very interested to read the news report on Polosa's study and wanted to discuss it on the forum. Unfortunately, new members cannot post in threads other than this one - so I hope it's ok to put in comments that would properly show up in a different thread.

The way I read the results, it actually shows a 25% quitting rate if you add up the three groups (7.2 mg, 7.2 mg dropped to 5.4 mg, and 0 mg with just tobacco flavoured juice), not simply the 13% from the first group. To me, that is an amazing result - far outstripping the 5% success rate I've seen bandied about for other smoking "cessation aids". It would be really interesting to see what the results would have been if they provided a group with 18 mg or 24 mg juice. I would suspect that the quitting rate would have been double or even treble based on what I've seen happen with the denizens of the "smoke pit" at my workplace. We've seen six out of eleven switch to vaping exclusively, although it hasn't been a full year yet for all of us.

Any thoughts, or have I misread what the report was saying.

That is very interesting - a 25% cessation rate over 6 months - that's a very good percentage for people who were not planning or intending to quit smoking at the outset. I don't think you've misread the report at all - good find.

 

[kiwivap]

Sorry, I should have put a link to the actual news story.

Vocalek's post in the Media and General News thread had this link to the news story on the released results.

E-cigarette study hints at quit-aid potential

Ah - so 25% after 6 months, but "up to 13 percent of participants were not smoking regular cigarettes at all a year later.". That's still pretty good when considering they had no desire to quit smoking.
So I'd be interested to know the percentage from those who take up vaping with the intention of quitting - and whether there is any significant difference.

 

[AgentAnia]

This is, I believe, the first legitimate clinical trial done with ecig users. I think Dr. Polosa consciously went with the most conservative conclusions (this is just my personal opinion), but even so, his report must have BP sleepless tonight, lol.

Bear in mind that the trial began several years ago, and an earlier generation of ecigs was used. Don't know why they chose the nicotine levels they did, but I think both had an impact on the results.

I am absolutely, positively positive that the results of the same trial with smokers who were looking to quit would be earth-shattering!

 

[Tache]

I certainly didn't set out to quit. Just thought that every analog avoided would be a good thing. I smoked for almost 40 years and had worked up to almost 2 PAD. I would have been very happy to cut down to 10 cigs a day. After three days of vaping, I was painlessly analog free - I'm still agog at how easy it was. Really it was no different than simply switching brands.

 

[Boiler]

Here's a good follow up interview with Dr. Polosa:

http://www.ecigarettedirect.co.uk/ashtray-blog/2013/06/professor-polosa-discusses-his-latest-quit-smoking-electronic-cigarette-study.html

 

[Tache]

Thanks Boiler - that was an interesting read. It's good to "hear" Polosa's obvious support for e-cigs and hypotheses on differentiating dependence into categories like sensation vs medication. Food for thought. Theother day I was reminded of a book I read last year "The Power of Habit". It's central theme was that it is extremely difficult, if not impossible to eliminate a habit, the key is in identifying the specific "payoff" part of the habit and modifying the habit to a preferred behaviour. I believe vaping does that very well for smokers.

 

[AgentAnia]

I certainly didn't set out to quit. Just thought that every analog avoided would be a good thing. I smoked for almost 40 years and had worked up to almost 2 PAD. I would have been very happy to cut down to 10 cigs a day. After three days of vaping, I was painlessly analog free - I'm still agog at how easy it was. Really it was no different than simply switching brands.

Tache, your story and mine are the same, except I smoked for 55+ years before finding ecigs. I call us "accidental quitters." Welcome to Club AQ!

(I came to your thread this AM to point you to Bergen's interview with Dr. Polosa, but Boiler got here first, lol!)

 

[Boiler]

Thanks, I think we zeroed in on the same idea from this quote. Which explains a lot about the differences we vapers have:

There are different smokers’ phenotypes; those who are addicted to nicotine (“medicated” by nicotine) on an extreme end and those who smoke for the pleasure of smoking (sensorial, behavioral, social factors) on the opposite end, with a variety of mixed phenotypes in between. For those in need of their daily dose of nicotine it is best to invest on high-performance products that are able to satisfy their personal need of nicotine. For those who enjoy smoking is best to ensure a product that satisfies their psycho-sensorial components, especially those related to taste. - Dr. Polosa

 

[Cool_Breeze]

I don't know what the quit numbers may be with cig-a-like users, perhaps not as high among enthusiasts who may use more sophisticated equipment. The quit numbers of traditional methods seem to be poor.

Are the traditional quitting methods responsible for creating a self-perpetuating, on again / off again industry not unlike the diet industry?

 

[Tache]

They may well be, although I wouldn't think that was the intention. I did buy a no nicotine cigalike (I'm in Canada eh?) about a year ago and found it was passable for satisfying the behavioral issues in a pinch - attending a show at the local arena where they don't allow you to leave the venue and come back in during intermission. It didn't really do the trick for replacing any analogs on a regular basis. I've never tried patches or nicorette because I've never made the decision to quit.

From an operant conditioning perspective, behaviours that are not "rewarded" do become extinct. Add to that our natural inclination to chafe against being pressured into doing, or not doing, something for our own good and you have a recipe for failure.

 

[slider]

I wish they would have asked the participants how many times they got sick durring the study, since e-cigarette users typically don't get sick as often as non e-cigarette users.