Nicotine E-Cigarettes Most Effective in Helping Smokers Quit

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By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com

via HealthDay

TUESDAY, April 7, 2026 -- Smokers using nicotine electronic cigarettes (ECs) are more likely to quit than those using most other methods, according to a review published online March 26 in Addiction.

Angela Difeng Wu, D.Phil., from the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, and colleagues synthesized existing evidence from systematic reviews on the effectiveness and safety of ECs to explore whether benefits outweigh potential harms.

Based on 14 reviews of intervention studies (seven high-quality), the researchers found that of 21 meta-analytic comparisons of nicotine EC versus other interventions, all reported point estimates favoring nicotine EC for smoking cessation, with relative risks or odds ratios ranging from 1.17 to 1.67 versus nicotine replacement therapy and 1.46 to 2.09 versus non-nicotine EC. Of the 13 studies that meta-analyzed serious adverse events, two reported point estimates suggesting increased serious adverse events with nicotine EC, with other estimates showing no difference. Pooled estimates of adverse events generally indicated little or no difference between groups. An evidence and gap map identified absolute gaps in evidence comparing the effects of nicotine EC to cytisine, bupropion, and nicotine pouches.

"We set out to determine if scientists agree on whether nicotine e-cigarettes help people quit smoking," senior author Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, Ph.D., from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, said in a statement. "Based on the consistency of the findings here, it's clear that they do."

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Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

Source: HealthDay

Posted : 2026-04-08 09:03

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