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The scientific consensus on vaping

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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
The current global scientific consensus increasingly supports vaping as:

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

12 /100

Nicotine vaping

up to 3x more likely to stop than people randomised to other therapies
7 /100

Vaping
(no nicotine)

1.7x more likely to stop by using nicotine vapes

moderate certainty

6 studies
1,613 people

6 /100

Nicotine replacement (NRT)

2x more likely to stop by using nicotine vapes

high certainty

7 studies
2,544 people

4 /100

Behavioural / no support

3x more likely to stop by using nicotine vapes

less certainty

9 studies
5,024 people

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[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

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“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

No vapes are registered on the ARTG, and the TGA has not assessed any vapes for safety and efficacy.

However, therapeutic vapes must adhere to quality standards set out in TGO 110 – the TGA’s standard for therapeutic vaping. Among other things, TGO 110 ensures that therapeutic vapes do not contain any of a list of dangerous ingredients.
View TGO 110
Understanding and prescribing therapeutic vapes

Request a prescriber pack

Become an Authorised Prescriber

Register as an Authorised Prescriber to prescribe therapeutic vapes for smoking cessation or nicotine dependence

external link (health.gov.au)

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Important links

Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP)

References

  1. 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
Nicovape Q products are TGA notified therapeutic vaping goods indicated for smoking cessation or the management of nicotine dependence. TGA Notification ID numbers: VG-2024-NTF-00234, VG-2024-NTF-00241, VG-2024-NTF-00240, VG-2024-NTF-00235, VG-2024-NTF-00242, VG-2024-NTF-00239, VG-2024-NTF-00237, VG-2024-NTF-00243, VG-2024-NTF-00238, VG-2024-NTF-00236.

© 2024 Liber Pharmaceuticals Ltd. All content

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.

This site is intended for use only by Australian-registered healthcare professionals with an interest in smoking cessation. It is not intended for use by consumers.