'E-cigarettes help more smokers quit than patches and gum' (30.01.2019) Kelland / Reuters

Science Media Centre: Expert reaction to randomised, controlled trial of ecigs vs NRT in smoking cessation (30.01.2019)

http://www.sciencemediacentre.org/e...d-trial-of-ecigs-vs-nrt-in-smoking-cessation/

(Edited to add: ) SMC factsheet on e-cigarettes (2014) : http://www.sciencemediacentre.org/electronic-cigarettes/

 

Moderator note: Merged thread.


'E-cigarettes help more smokers quit than patches and gum' (30.01.2019) Kelland / Reuters

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...han-patches-and-gum-study-finds-idUSKCN1PO30V

 

I have to admit that I posted this primarily because of the Reuters' author's previous biased reporting on the revision of the Cochrane GET review, her connections to the SMC, and previous allegations of biased reporting in favor of pesticide/ herbicide producers .
(see: https://www.s4me.info/threads/issue...ce-media-centre-smc-not-just-me-related.3159/ )

I only skimmed her article about the benefits of e-cigarettes for quitting smoking. I have no idea whether this is biased or to which degree it might be biased. It struck me though that there seemed to be such clear evidence of the benefits of e-cigarettes (combined with behavior therapy) for people who want to quit smoking, and that the SMC experts are unanimously enthusiastic about the trial findings.

I think there is no doubt that consuming e-cigarettes is considerably less harmful than smoking tobacco.

To my surprise, some of the recent research seems to suggest that consuming e-cigarettes is even no big health risk at all.

(SMC expert reaction)

I googled a bit and got the impression that the SMC's experts stance is widely accepted and the the warnings coming from a minority of cancer researchers are being rejected. It is even being discussed that passive consumers' health isn't at all affected by the vapor of e-cigarettes. But on a first glance I could not find any hints what e-vapor, especially when flavored, does to people with allergic asthma and other allergic conditions. (On a personal note, I find it very unpleasant to be surrounded by e-vapor.)

I am not able to read more about this at the moment. So I just leave this here in case it might interest someone to have a closer look at the trial and whether the enthusiasm is justified.

(Or maybe some people here who want to quit smoking?)

PS: Thank you to the mods for merging the threads.

 

I've been vaping for nearly 7 years now. I was on 4oz of tobacco plus 60-80 cigarettes a week before that, for years. I'd obviously tried to give up several times before using all the conventional methods, including NRT. All totally useless, my brain doesn't run properly without at least some nicotine, and vaping is the safest way to get it.

Regarding vapor safety; vaping next to a busy road, or on public transport (not that that's allowed) etc, actually increases the air quality for yourself and those around you, because the vapour displaces toxic particles in the vehicle exhaust fumes, which are present especially inside vehicles.

Obviously not as healthy as 'clean' air but most people have no opportunity to ever breathe such a thing.

 

Despite the fact that the experts say they are not paid to hype e-cigarettes they seem very keen to sound as if they are. presumably they are so used to hyping things they don't know what else to do.

The message I get from this study is that people trying to give up smoking are more likely to like vaping than eating nicogum or sticking on patches. That is hardly surprising.

It looks as if as a result slightly more (9%) people actually give up smoking if they are allowed to vape. But for the great majority neither approach works - 81%+ go on smoking.

That is actually what I find most surprising - and perhaps most interesting. It seems that smokers have got addicted to the taste that goes with the kick.

The conclusion seems to me to be the same as it always was - that it should be illegal to profit from selling tobacco. If it was nobody would need to waste money on studies like this.

 

The remaining worry about vaping is that you still have nicotine addiction and nicotine is a very powerful vasoactive agent. I am not sure how much harm it does but I am glad I am not addicted to it. It seems to be as bad as heroin from the addiction point of view.

 

I know when I gave up the fags (& it was one of the hardest things I have ever done) kicking the nicotine habit was just one aspect. The other was the behavioural habit of lifting the cigarette to my mouth and inhaling.

Don't know about the heroin, but I haven't smoked for over a quarter of a century and very occasionally I still get a fleeting craving.

 

I had this with a relative who also had a serious head injury. They were like a badly tuned radio - bits of what they said and did made sense. I have no idea how, but they kept "finding" boxes of matches and lighting up in their room. The nurses were really naffed off.

It was unbelievably difficult to get it across to them that if this person wasn't allowed to smoke anywhere and couldn't be let wander outside then they really needed to be prescribed patches. This was before the days of vaping and my relative was used to smoking 40 a day.

 

I read in the news recently that youth who started vaping were more likely to switch to cigarette as time goes by. This is a problem. And while I am not knowlgeable at all about vaping at least some of it contains nicotine.

Vaping encourages the behavior associated with addiction to cigarette such as holdingand manipulating the object, bringing to to your mouth, inhaling nad exhaling.

Vaping is a nicotine industry win, by making nicotine and vaping products acceptable.

 

Me too. I'm catching myself taking a sharp intake of breath just reading this thread. No desire to smoke, just seem to have retained the breathing associated with it.

 

There's always a nurse or two who need to sneak out for a smoke too and sympathise with the patients. Last time I was in hospital the nurse showed my neighbour where the small stone was you could put in the door to stop it closing so you could get back in after sneaking out for a smoke at night.

 

I'm glad I never tried a cigarette. One positive of ME/CFS is that it makes cigarette smoke headache inducing and disgusting.

 

It was for me before I had ME. Fortunately I have a lot of willpower, so I persevered.

 

I'll never forget a long train trip I did before I got sick with ME. Only 2 smoking stops on the 10 hour trip. I had withdrawals the majority of the journey.

I dreaded the return trip. On the way home, about halfway, the train driver stopped the train to let everyone out to view and take pictures of the glittering snow covered Mt Ruapehu on a glorious sunny cold winter day. The train driver or conductor said it was only a five minute stop and not a smoking stop. I completely ignored this and went outside a lit a cigarette. The withdrawals were too great.

I have tried e-cigs and unfortunately I get pain in the lungs with e-cigs. I think it may be too late for me.

 

I can only say anecdotally that after 30 plus years of heavy smoking (I restarted smoking shortly after ME onset ) I'm pretty sure I was at the stage of fairly advanced COPD (which killed my father). I've been off the cigs totally for 9 months now thanks to vaping and no intention of restarting.

I also find that I have neck and shoulder pain from vaping which I assume is due to the vasoconstrictive effects of nicotine although I probably also had that when smoking (you can of course move to lower nicotine or zero vaping if you wish). I wouldn't be surprised if vaping also carries some long term risks but if I'd continued smoking 'long term' probably wasn't an issue.

Of course a non-smoker taking up vaping nicotine would be idiotic but I doubt I could have quit smoking if vaping hadn't been available.

 

The obvious takeaway here is that we need to get kids hooked on dark chocolate at a young age. Then they will realize there is no need for tobacco-based stimulants.

 

I adore dark choc, but it's effects are nothing like having a cigarette for me.