Largest American Research Study Funded by the National Cancer Institute Confirms Alternative Tobacco Products as Means to Help Quit Smoking and Reduce its Harm
Study: 14% quit smoking and 28% reduced their consumption of traditional cigarettes by 50%
By Eman Hamed
A recent American study on the feasibility of tobacco alternatives, the largest of its kind in the United States, found that e-cigarettes are an effective means for quitting smoking among adults. The researchers who conducted the study called on governments around the world to allow the circulation of these alternatives, especially after the results confirmed that those who used e-cigarettes succeeded in reducing their smoking rates or quitting it altogether.
According to the British journal Lancet, one of the oldest and most prestigious medical journals in the world, the study was conducted on a random sample of 638 adult smokers from 11 cities in the United States, with different levels of desire to quit smoking and minimal experience in using tobacco alternatives. The study lasted six months with full funding from the National Cancer Institute in the United States and was conducted by a number of researchers from several American universities.
The study authors explained that the sample was divided into two groups, the first of which included 427 participants who were given e-cigarettes for 4 weeks. The instructions given to them were very limited, as the researchers aimed to examine usage rate and its effect on quitting smoking, without guiding them. The second group included 211 participants who were not provided with e-cigarettes and were left free to use any product as they wished.
After the first month of the study, no more e-cigarettes were provided, and the participants were followed up for 24 weeks (six months) through telephone surveys. The approach of the study aimed to simulate all the conditions that smokers are exposed to in real life, so they can decide for themselves whether to use tobacco alternatives or not. In addition to measuring the rates of quitting traditional cigarettes or reducing their use. It was found that 14% of the participants in the study had completely stopped using traditional cigarettes, while 28% reduced their daily consumption of cigarettes by 50%.
The study also showed that those who used the e-cigarette were much more likely to quit smoking in week 12 and 24, compared to those who were left to decide whether to use e-cigarettes or not during the study period. Therefore, the researchers reported that tobacco alternatives are a better option and a worthy alternative for smokers who fail to quit smoking with traditional methods.
In the same context, Dr. Matthew Carpenter, the lead researcher of the study, confirmed that smokers who were included in the study and used e-cigarettes showed greater reluctance from using traditional cigarettes, resulting in a reduction in the health risks they cause. He pointed out that the study provides valuable information for the public health community and policymakers that can be used to determine how to deal with tobacco alternatives in general, whether heated tobacco products or vaping.
Carpenter stressed that everyone wants to keep e-cigarettes away from the hands of children, yet adult smokers who have not been able to quit smoking should not be denied alternative methods that can help them achieve their goal. He called on governments around the world to allow the circulation of alternative products to support citizens in quitting smoking and protect them from the dangers of traditional cigarettes.