The US Surgeon General has sent a mixed message on the effectiveness of e-cigarettes in a recently released 30-year update on smoking-cessation efforts.
In the 20-page consumer guide, Dr. Jerome Adams said, “E-cigarettes, a continually changing and diverse group of products, are used in a variety of ways. Therefore, it is difficult to make generalizations about efficacy for cessation based on clinical trials involving a particular e-cigarette. More research is needed on whether e-cigarettes are effective for smoking cessation and to better understand the health effects of e-cigarettes.”
However, the guide recommended that “in order for adult smokers to achieve any meaningful health benefits from e-cigarettes, they would need to fully switch to e-cigarettes and stop smoking cigarettes and other tobacco products completely.”
According to the report, more than 60% of US adults who have ever smoked cigarettes have quit, but less than 33% were successful using FDA-approved cessation medications or behavioral counseling.
Other interesting points in the guide related to e-cigarettes include, “Many adults who smoke are interested in using e-cigarettes to quit cigarettes,” “Some research suggests that using e-cigarettes containing nicotine is associated with greater smoking cessation than e-cigarettes that don’t contain nicotine,” “Some research suggests that more frequent use of e-cigarettes is associated with greater smoking cessation than less frequent use.”