Efficiency and safety of electronic cigarette as tobacco cigarette substitute

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Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are becoming popular since their introduction a few years ago. This study was a prospective 12-month randomized, controlled trial that evaluated smoking reduction and abstinence in 300 smokers not intending to quit, experimenting two different nicotine strengths of a popular e-cigarette, compared to its non-nicotine choice. One group (n = 100) received 7.2mg nicotine cartridges for 12 weeks, the second group (n = 100) received 6 weeks of 7.2mg followed by 6 weeks of 5.4mg, and the third group (n = 100) received no-nicotine cartridges for 12 weeks. The study consisted of nine visits during which cig/day use and exhaled carbon monoxide levels were measured. Smoking reduction and abstinence rates were calculated. The results showed that there were declines in cig/day use and exhaled carbon monoxide in all three groups, with no consistent differences among study groups. Smoking reduction was documented in 22.3% and 10.3% at week-12 and week-52 respectively. Withdrawal symptoms were infrequently reported. The authors conclude that in smokers not intending to quit, the use of e-cigarettes, with or without nicotine, decrease cigarette consumption and elicited enduring tobacco abstinence with minimal side effects. PLoS One. June 2013. PMID: 23826093.

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