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Vaping is better than nicotine replacement therapy say Public Health England
Public Health England (PHE) has released a report on vaping in England, which states that vaping is a better form of smoking cessation than nicotine replacement therapy. The research carried out by King’s College London, found that:
- nicotine vaping products were the most popular (27.2%) method of quitting smoking in England in 2020
- in 2017, more than 50,000 smokers quit smoking with the help of a vaping product, and would have carried on smoking if the products were not available.
- in 2020, 38% of smokers believed that vaping is as harmful as smoking, with 15% believing that vaping does more damage
- using a vaping product to quit smoking in local stop smoking services had some of the highest quit success rates – between 59.7% and 74% in 2019 and 2020
The report offers a detailed analysis of the latest evidence on the effectiveness of nicotine vaping products in helping quit smoking permanently.
In England in 2020, nicotine vaping products were the most popular aid used by smokers trying to quit:
Vaping has progressed rapidly over the years, and evidence suggests that as vaping gains popularity, the successful smoking quit rate increases. It is estimated that in 2017, more than 50,000 smokers stopped smoking with the aid of a vaping product who would otherwise have carried on smoking.
Those using a vaping product to quit smoking at stop smoking services have some of the highest quit-success rates – between 59.7% and 74% in 2019 to 2020.
However, Public Health England have noted that there is a concern around the increasing misconception regarding the risk of vaping compared to smoking tobacco cigarettes. In 2020, 38% of smokers believed that vaping is as harmful as smoking and 15% believed that vaping is more harmful. In a previous report, PHE concluded that vaping is 95% less harmful than smoking tobacco cigarettes.
Professor John Newton, Director of Health Improvement at PHE, said:
"Smoking is still the leading preventable cause of premature death and disease – killing almost 75,000 people in England in 2019. The best thing that a smoker can do is to stop smoking completely and the evidence shows that vaping is one of the most effective quit aids available, helping around 50,000 smokers quit a year.
Thousands more could have quit except for unfounded safety fears about e-cigarettes. The evidence has been clear for some time that, while not risk-free vaping is far less harmful than smoking"
The effect of e-cigarettes on quitting could have been even greater if clear information on the benefits in comparison to cigarettes was brought to the forefront. PHE declares that the evidence has been clear for some time that vaping is far less harmful than smoking.
Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) stated that as well as having very low rates of underage use, vaping is strongly recommended as a method of smoking cessation.
Deborah Arnott, Chief Executive of ASH, said:
"Rightly, since e-cigarettes emerged as an alternative to smoking, the government has sought to strike a balance between helping smokers to quit and protecting children.
As ASH research included in the report for PHE shows, e-cigarette use among 11 to 18 year olds has to date remained low, but on the downside their potential as an adult quitting aid has not been fully realised."
Support from stop smoking services remains the most effective way to help people quit for good. Here at Ecigwizard, we can help you find the right tool to give you the best chance of quitting smoking and leading a healthier lifestyle. If you're thinking about making the switch to smoking, take a look at our Vaping Starter Guide, which has all the information that you need to get you on your way.