E-Cigarettes May Not Help People Quit Smoking

Researchers from the American University of Beirut and the Center for the Study of Tobacco Products recently discovered that e-cigarettes are oftentimes mislabeled and may be “just as addictive” as regular cigarettes (Wilkerson, 2015). 

The study was published in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology and examined various kinds of nicotine (and its levels) present in different brands of e-cigarette vapor. The researchers found that all of the examined brands contained the strongest form of nicotine; one that is easily absorbed by the body. This means that the nicotine in e-cigarettes is just as addictive as the nicotine present in tobacco cigarettes. The researchers also found that the amount of nicotine in these “e-liquids” did not match what was listed on the label. 

While the manufacturers of e-cigarettes mention that these new devices can help people wanting to quit smoking, a separate study found that this isn’t necessarily true. The study examined “135 smokers with no interest in quitting, asking some to smoke cigarettes with progressively less nicotine in them over the course of the year” (Wilkerson, 2015). The researchers found that almost none of these participants reduced or quit smoking in the long-term. 

University of Michigan Professor Lloyd Johnston stated, “I worry that the tremendous progress that we’ve made over the last almost two decades in smoking could be reversed on us by the introduction of e-cigarettes” (Wilkerson, 2015). 

 

References  

Wilkerson, M. (2015). E-cigs are often mislabeled and may not help you quit smoking, study finds. Retrieved from http://www.thefix.com/content/e-cigs-are-often-mislabeled-and-may-not-help-you-quit-smoking-study-finds