More than three times as many smokers gave up smoking when they were given an e-cigarette with a high nicotine content compared with an identical, nicotine-free product. This is shown by a new US study in which researchers used pod systems with a nicotine strength that is currently standard on the US market, but not permitted within the EU.
A new US study shows that smokers who switched to vejp with a high nicotine delivery were more than three times as likely to successfully quit smoking, compared with those who were given a nicotine-free version. The results reinforce a body of research in which e-cigarettes are consistently shown to be effective in helping people quit smoking, particularly when compared with not using nicotine at all.
The study was carried out by researchers at Penn State College of Medicine and published in JAMA Network Open.
A total of 104 adult smokers who smoked daily and wanted to quit took part. The participants were randomly divided into two groups: one that received a pod-based vejp containing nicotine, and one that received a similar vejp, but without nicotine. The nicotine concentration was 5 per cent (50 mg/ml) – which is the standard in the US for disposable devices and pre-filled pod systems (in the EU, e-liquid is limited to 2 per cent, 20 mg/ml).
A clear difference between nicotine and no nicotine
The participants were then monitored for six weeks to see how many managed to give up smoking. The researchers say the results show a clear difference between the groups. In the group that received nicotinevejp, just over a third had stopped smoking after six weeks. In the group without nicotine, the proportion was significantly lower.
At the same time, levels of several harmful substances linked to cigarettes fell in both groups, suggesting that the switch from cigarettes itself had a clear health benefit. The difference with nicotine was precisely an increased likelihood of successfully quitting.
A nicotine delivery experience similar to that of a cigarette could be crucial
In the study’s conclusions, the researchers suggest that the nicotine in vejpen may play an important role in the process of giving up cigarettes.
“The results suggest that e-cigarettes that deliver nicotine at the same level as a cigarette play an important role in reducing exposure to tobacco-related harmful substances and may facilitate smoking cessation,” the researchers write in their analysis.
In line with previous research
The results are consistent with several previous studies reported by Vejpkollen, in which access to vejp in everyday life has been linked to a higher rate of smoking cessation compared with control groups without such access.
A brief study – but a clear pattern
The study lasted six weeks and therefore primarily captures short-term effects. The researchers emphasise that longer-term follow-up is needed to understand how sustainable the results are over time.
At the same time, it is a controlled study in which participants have been randomly assigned to the different groups, which is considered to yield more reliable results than observational studies.
Editor’s note:
The study differs from many previous studies in that it tests so-called nicotine salts at high concentrations. The participants used pre-filled pod systems with a concentration of 50 mg/ml and an output of approximately 12 watts. Nicotine salts are used as standard in most of today’s disposable devices and pod systems, but within the EU, the nicotine concentration is limited to 20 mg/ml – that is, less than half the concentration used in the American study.
The study may therefore provide new insights into the significance of a high, more cigarette-like nicotine delivery in terms of the potential to replace cigarettes.
