Pharmacist Information Hub
The scientific consensus on vaping
The gold standard for understanding scientific consensus on vaping is the Cochrane Collaboration, which publishes an annual systematic review of the state of science.
2024 Cochrane Review of E-cigarettes for Smoking Cessation
Effective for smoking cessation, comparably or better than other licensed medicines
Substantially safer than smoking, but should not be considered harmless
Appropriate for patients who have failed to stop smoking with licensed medicines
No evidence of a difference in adverse events compared with licensed NRT
The 2024 Cochrane Review of E-cigarettes for Smoking Cessation found that out of every 100 people using cessation therapies, the following successfully stopped for at least 6 months1
Nicotine vaping
Vaping
(no nicotine)
moderate certainty
6 studies
1,613 people
Nicotine replacement (NRT)
high certainty
7 studies
2,544 people
Behavioural / no support
less certainty
9 studies
5,024 people
[We now have…] “high-certainty evidence that people are more likely to stop smoking for at least six months using nicotine e-cigarettes, or ‘vapes’, than using nicotine replacement therapies, such as patches and gums.”
– Hartmann-Boyce J et al. 20221
“There is abundant evidence that nicotine vaping products can help some individuals to quit smoking, so they should be more widely recommended as quit smoking aids.”
– Warner, K.E et al. 20232
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Important links
Therapeutic Goods Administration
Pharmaceutical Society of Australia
References
- Hartmann-Boyce J et al, Cochrane Database Syst Rev (2024): DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD010216.pub8
- 2. Warner, K.E. et al. Nature Medicine 29(2), 520-524(2023) DOI: 10.1038/s41591-022-02201-7
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iNRT Healthcare is operated by Liber Pharmaceuticals for the purpose of furthering healthcare education regarding Nicotine Vaping Products (NVPs) within the Australian medical framework. Liber has no affiliation with the tobacco industry, their affiliates, or any organisations or individuals engaged in lobbying on their behalf.
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