Staying Healthy
Combining electronic cigarettes and counseling helps more smokers quit
In the journals
- Reviewed by Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
Clinical trials have shown that nicotine-containing electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) can help people to stop smoking. However, combining their use with counseling may be more effective.
In a randomized trial, 1,246 people who smoked at least five cigarettes daily and were motivated to quit underwent therapy that consisted of either e-cigarettes plus smoking-cessation counseling or counseling only. After six months, almost twice as many people in the e-cigarette group (about 29%) had abstained from smoking compared with those who received only counseling (16%)
E-cigarettes produce an aerosol by heating a liquid that contains nicotine — the addictive drug in tobacco products — that is then inhaled. While e-cigarettes contain fewer toxic chemicals than regular cigarettes, they should not be used as a replacement for smoking. However, as this study showed, they offer an additional option to help smokers wean themselves off tobacco use. The results were published Feb. 15, 2024, in The New England Journal of Medicine.
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About the Author
Matthew Solan, Executive Editor, Harvard Men's Health Watch
About the Reviewer
Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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