E-Cigarettes Don’t Actually Help People Quit Smoking, According To 84 Different Studies
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS ) — A newly released UCSF research study shows that claims made by some electronic cigarette manufacturers—that the devices actually help people quit smoking—are unlikely.
Scientists analyzed 84 research studies on e-cigarettes—battery-operated devices that vaporize a nicotine solution. They have been sold in the U.S. since the mid-2000s and have become immensely popular. They do no emit smoke, which has been part of the attraction to many, including teenagers.
Dr. Stanton Glanz, director of UCSF’s Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education and a co-author of the Circulation paper, said that the use of such devices is having the opposite effect desired by its users.
“Many people are using e-cigarettes because they are hoping to quit smoking. Smokers who use e-cigarettes are actually less likely to quit smoking than smokers who aren’t using e-cigarettes,” he said.