Researchers suggest e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation tool

A group of international researchers and clinicians from the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia has suggested that doctors should consider electronic cigarettes, or vapes, as a potential option for patients attempting to quit smoking. This recommendation was detailed in a special communication published in JAMA in July.

While smoking rates in the United States have declined from 22.5 percent in 2002 to approximately 11.6 percent in 2022, tobacco use remains a leading cause of preventable death globally. Experts note that while vapes were introduced roughly 20 years ago partly to assist with smoking cessation, there is still significant debate regarding their long-term efficacy and safety. Nancy Rigotti, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, described e-cigarettes as one of the most controversial topics in medicine and public health.