Free e-cigarettes could help smokers quit tobacco

A recent study in England has shown that distributing free e-cigarettes to smokers who are trying to quit allowed 30% of them to succeed.

The study, carried out by an expert in anti-smoking strategies, was carried out alongside researchers at the Centre for Substance Use Research. The goal of the study was to demonstrate how providing free electronic cigarettes to smokers can help them wean themselves off of tobacco.

To properly carry out the study, researchers recruited 72 people from Glasgow and the surrounding region. Those chosen smoked between 2 and 30 cigarettes per day. First, participants attended a meeting where they discussed their smoking habits (why they started, etc.). Afterwards, researchers asked them to stop smoking and begin using an electronic cigarette.

How the study played out

Each participant was given a vaping device with all of the necessary instructions needed to use and maintain it. Participants were then asked to return to the research centre every thirty days for the next four months.

At the end of the study, 87% of participants were able to provide complete results. Upon an analysis of the findings, researchers concluded that 37.5% of the participants completely stopped smoking tobacco. In addition, the amount of smokers who continued to smoke every day dropped from 88.7% to 17.5%. Finally, the average number of cigarettes smoked per day dropped from 15 to 5.

Researchers also highlighted the fact that 52% of the participants had tried in vain to quit smoking in the previous year. In light of such positive results, researchers say there is a strong case to be made for using electronic cigarettes as a legitimate and highly effective tool to fight tobacco addiction.