Life & Style

E-cigarette users less likely to quit smoking

Study shows more nicotine-dependence among vaping cancer patients.

Ians September 24, 2014

NEW YORK: The current trend of using e-cigarettes as an alternative to smoking traditional cigarettes may do more harm than good. According to recent research, cancer patients using e-cigarettes, in addition to traditional cigarettes, are equally or less likely to quit smoking traditional cigarettes than non-users.

Findings of the study, which was published online in Cancer, the journal of the American Cancer Society, further showed that cancer patients using e-cigarettes are more nicotine-dependent. “Consistent with recent observations of increased e-cigarette use in the general population, our findings illustrate that e-cigarette use among tobacco-dependent cancer patients has increased within the past two years,” said co-researcher Jamie Ostroff from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in the United States.

To examine available clinical data about e-cigarette use and cessation among cancer patients, the researchers studied 1,074 cancer patients who smoked, and were enrolled between 2012 and 2013 in a tobacco treatment programme within a comprehensive cancer centre in the US. Researchers observed a three-fold increase in e-cigarette use from 2012 to 2013.

At enrolment stage, e-cigarette users were more nicotine-dependent than non-users, had more prior quit attempts, and were more likely to be diagnosed with lung or head and neck cancers. At the follow-up stage, e-cigarette users were just as likely to be smoking as non-users. Seven-day abstinence rates were 44.4 per cent versus 43.1 per cent for e-cigarette users and non-users, respectively.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 25^th, 2014.

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COMMENTS (1)

Crunchy2k | 9 years ago | Reply

This is the same psychologist Jamie Ostroff of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City that said e-cigarettes are a gateway to tobacco cigarettes because they both deliver nicotine.

Ignoring Ms. Ostroff's conclusions, what she found was that smokers try to quit smoking when they have mouth, throat or lung cancer.

The study was criticized because the data did not justify her conclusions. Both Robert West, director of tobacco research at University College London and Peter Hajek, director of the Tobacco Dependence Research Unit at Queen Mary, University of London agreed the study's conclusions were flawed.

I know I quit a 44 year smoking habit the same day I started vaping. I use a modern voltage regulated Personal Vaporizer. I bypassed the cig-a-like e-cigarette stage. My e-liquid costs me $40 for nine months. I DIY and like flavors. Flavors are the biggest expense.

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