Cochrane Finds Evidence Supporting Nicotine E-Cigarettes for Quitting Smoking

An international non-profit healthcare academic group Cochrane has recently released their latest findings on the effectiveness of nicotine e-cigarettes. The study concludes that there is high-confidence evidence suggesting that e-cigarettes containing nicotine can increase smoking cessation rates, and moderate-confidence evidence showing that they can improve cessation rates compared to nicotine-free e-cigarettes.

The conclusions drawn by Cochrane are widely considered to be the gold standard in evidence-based healthcare. As such, the highly credible findings of Cochrane's investigation should encourage regulatory authorities around the world to ensure that adult smokers are legally able to access electronic cigarette products.

In response to the latest research findings from Cochrane, the Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada (PSC) released a misleading blog questioning the integrity of the Cochrane authors and their conclusions. The PSC ignored the history of electronic cigarette science and promoted information that contradicts the statement released by the Canadian Department of Health regarding the Cochrane findings.

Regarding the use of electronic cigarettes for quitting smoking, the Canadian Department of Health stated that "quitting smoking may be difficult, and electronic cigarettes may offer a way to release nicotine with less harm than smoking tobacco. These products may reduce the health risks for individuals who do not quit smoking nicotine altogether. While there is still controversy surrounding their use, some evidence suggests that using electronic cigarettes is associated with an increased success rate in quitting smoking.

Cynthia Callard is a registered member of the Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada (PSC) and has written many publications for the organization. According to the PSC's charitable records, 98% of their total revenue comes from the Canadian government. However, none of the government funding has been used to operate smoking cessation clinics, charitable programs, or any other initiatives aimed at reducing the burden of combustible tobacco on public health in Canada.

The PSC has expressed its efforts to implement stricter regulations by the Canadian government in order to reduce the supply and demand of electronic cigarette products. However, the issue with this approach is that while regulations can effectively decrease the supply of legally operated and regulated electronic cigarette products, historically speaking, the impact of regulations on demand is minimal. As a result of past regulatory changes, Canada's illicit electronic cigarette market has grown significantly. Further regulations undoubtedly exacerbate the proliferation of unregulated and potentially dangerous products. The illicit market poses a threat to consumer safety and increases the risks faced by young people. The regulation of electronic cigarette products must ensure that they can be purchased through legal channels to protect consumers' rights.

The electronic cigarette is a tool designed to help adults quit smoking. The Canadian Vaping Association (CVA) supports comments on harm reduction measures. Smoking remains the primary cause of smoking-related diseases in humans. Preventing tobacco-related diseases is still the medical profession's top priority," said Darryl Tempest, CVA committee government relations advisor.

The Canadian Vaping Association (CVA) is a registered national nonprofit organization that serves as an advocate for Canada's vaping industry. Established in 2014, CVA represents over 200 e-cigarette companies in Canada.

2FIRSTS will continue to report on this issue, with updates available on the 2FIRSTS app. Scan the QR code below to download the app.