E-cigarette use in the past and quitting behavior in the future: A population-based study
This study looked at whether trying vaping affects your ability to quit smoking within the following year. The researchers split up 1000 smokers based on their vaping history, and then followed up with them a year later.
What They Found
Those who’d vaped at the start of the study were less likely to cut down or quit smoking in comparison to those who’d never tried vaping. The authors conclude that people who’ve vaped “may be at increased risk for not being able to quit smoking.”
This led to typically tabloid-style headlines like “E-cigs DON’T help smokers quit fags – in fact they make it harder to stop.”
What’s Wrong With it?
The study used a set of bizarre criteria to determine who was eligible. They excluded:
1. People who hadn’t heard of e-cigs
2. Anyone who said they might use e-cigarettes
3. Anyone who originally said they’d never vape, but had tried it or decided they might try it at the time of follow-up.
So it didn’t really compare e-cig users to non users. It compared smokers who’d used e-cigs at the start of the study (but hadn’t quit) with those who consistently said that they’d never use e-cigs.
Michael Siegel explains the many ways in which this could lead to bias. The main one is that people who say they’ll never vape are probably confident in their ability to quit, and more likely to be successful.
Also, like previous “e-cigs don’t help you quit” studies, this looked at people who’d vaped at least once in the past, not smokers actually trying to quit by vaping.
Analysis of the Study
NHS Choices: Study doesn’t prove e-cigs make quitting smoking harder
