An independent study of ecigarettes published in the Cochrane Library has said battery-powered products could help traditional smokers cut down or even quit the habit completely. The Cochrane review looked at two trials involving 662 current smokers, and 11 observational studies. It found one in 10 smokers who switched to ecigarettes gave up approximately one year later, while a third significantly cut down. The trial data showed no serious adverse effects, although this was based on short to medium term use only.
The findings come just a few months after the World Health Organisation (WHO) said the next-generation products were as dangerous as traditional cigarettes, not only for smokers but passive smokers as well. There are concerns the proliferation of ecigarettes could 'normalise' the habit again, making it popular again with young people. However, some medical professionals have promoted ecigarettes as a tool to help people quit traditional tobacco, particularly if other techniques such as patches and chewing gum haven't helped. But the Cochrane review said any conclusions about the efficacy of ecigarettes as a quitting tool were difficult, due to the limited number of studies on the subject.
Roughly 2m people in Britain already use ecigarettes and in 2014, they outsold sports nutrition drinks to become the best-selling British supermarket product. Around two-thirds of ecigarette buyers are smokers trying to quit, while the remainder are ex-smokers returning to the habit.
But the regulatory outlook for new ecigarette products hitting the market is far from in clear. From 2016, products must be regulated as medicines in the UK. But Welsh health legislators will consider banning the use of ecigarettes in enclosed public places altogether. Some countries, including Western Australia, Brazil and Norway, have banned the products altogether due to safety concerns.
London's two largest tobacco companies - British American Tobacco (BATS) and Imperial Tobacco (IMT) - will pay close attention to the latest research findings. Both companies are busy developing and launching next-generation products. But the rise of ecigarettes will inevitably hurt their traditional brands, which have been in decline for some time in established western markets.
