Cochrane study compares vaping effectiveness for smoking cessation

A systematic review published in the Cochrane Library indicates that nicotine-containing electronic cigarettes are more effective at helping adults quit smoking than nicotine replacement therapies, such as patches or gum. The study, which analyzed 80 randomized controlled trials involving 29,861 participants, found that approximately 8 to 10 out of every 100 people using e-cigarettes successfully quit smoking for at least six months. In comparison, nicotine replacement therapies saw a success rate of about 6 out of 100, while behavioral support alone resulted in a success rate of approximately 5 out of 100.

Separately, research published in JAMA Pediatrics highlights a shifting trend in adolescent nicotine use. Data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) shows that routine vaping among female adolescents aged 15-17 increased from nearly 5 percent in 2021 to 8 percent in 2024. During the same period, routine vaping among male adolescents in the same age group was recorded at 4.6 percent. Researchers from the Medical University of South Carolina have called for increased public health interventions to address these rising rates among young women.