Oyogist has learned that e-cigarettes are no more effective at helping smokers quit than going cold turkey, a study suggests.
According to a survey, just 10 per cent of smokers who relied on e-cigarettes to quit their habit were successful in quitting for just 12 months.
Fr comparison, the figure stood at around a fifth for smokers who shunned nicotine gums, patches or tablets and gave up without any extra help.
The findings, by US researchers, cast doubt on the wisdom that e-cigarettes are one of the best ways to help smokers quit.
Currently, the NHS advises that E cigarette could help smokers – though it is not available on prescription.
But England is set to become the first country in the world to prescribe e-cigarettes to help smokers quit, if Government plans are given the go ahead.
University of California researchers used survey data from 3,000 smokers who had recently attempted to quit the habit, and over 1,000 recent former smokers.
An electronic cigarette is a battery-operated device that emits a vaporized solution to inhale. Usually, the solution contains nicotine. The aim is to provide the sensation of inhaling tobacco smoke, without the smoke.
