Many Canadians Are Now Using E-Cigarettes to Help Them Quit Smoking December 24, 2014 08:36
According to a recent report, 1 in 7 Canadian adults have tried electronic cigarettes. Most of them have tried e-cigarettes to quit smoking tobacco. According to a National Survey, around 64% people who smoke e-cigarettes also smoke traditional tobacco cigarettes. Another 27% people used to smoke. There are just 9% people smoking e-cigs who never smoked tobacco cigarettes. According to Lorne Bozinoff, President, Forum Research, contrary to fears, vaping doesn’t seem a gateway to traditional tobacco smoking. In fact, it may be helpful to quit smoking.
International Review Supports Findings
Results from the survey support the findings of an exclusive international review. It suggests that electronic cigarettes can help reduce cigarette consumption and even help smokers quit. According to the review from Cochrane Collaboration, a renowned medical research group, 9% of people who smoke e-cigs containing nicotine quit tobacco cigarettes for over an year. On the other hand, only 4% of people who smoke nicotine-free e-cigs are able to quit tobacco cigarettes.
Among people who continued smoking e-cigarettes, tobacco consumption was almost halved among 36% people using electronic cigarettes with nicotine, and 28% people using nicotine-free electronic cigarettes. According to Peter Hajek, Professor of Clinical Psychology, Queen Mary University, these results suggest that electronic cigarettes are an effective smoking cessation tool. However, he still cautioned that the research was preliminary, and based on data from more than 660 smokers. Since products and markets are constantly changing, it’s early to make any pronouncements.
In simple terms, Dr. Hajek claimed that it’s not clear how electronic cigarettes compare with some other smoking cessation tools, such as drugs and nicotine patches. Electronic cigarettes are affordable battery-powered devices, which vaporize flavored liquid to simulate the basic feel of smoking without any exposure to any deadly toxins present in tobacco. When it comes to Canada, electronic cigarettes containing nicotine aren’t approved for sale. However, they are still widely available.
In fact, the poll also leads to some interesting findings. It claims that more than 50% people use nicotine fluid. The major of electronic cigarette smokers who continue to smoke in future prefer nicotine-based products. This is around 70%. However, there are only 4% quitters who use nicotine fluid. This is another hint that smoking electronic cigarettes isn’t a gateway to smoking. According to the poll, Canadians report that electronic cigarettes are used for a wide range of reasons :
- To quit smoking - Around 29%
- Due to delicious flavors - Around 16%
- Permission to smoke in public - Around 14%
- Health reasons - Around 10%
- Recommendation from doctor - Around 4%
On the other hand, the quit rate for some other products, including nicotine patches, is just about 10%. It’s worth mentioning that the success rate for quitting smoking is similar in people using nicotine based electronic cigarettes and people using flavored liquid. There’s no doubt that electronic cigarettes are an excellent smoking cessation device, which will continue to get increasingly popular in the market.