Systematic Review Highlights Dual Users of Vapes and Cigarettes Struggle to Quit
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People who use both vapes and cigarettes are less likely to quit compared to people who only smoke or only vape, according to a study published in ERJ Open Research. Instead, the research suggests that over time, most of these ‘dual users’ tend to revert to only smoking cigarettes. The researchers say their findings suggest that taking up vaping while continuing to smoke will probably not help people to stop smoking.
The review brings together 16 individual studies looking at whether groups of dual users went on to quit smoking, switch to vaping only, switch to smoking only or continue dual use over time. The analyses incorporate data on up to 9,337 people including 2,432 dual users. When researchers compared dual users with people who only smoked cigarettes or only vaped, they found that dual users were less likely to quit completely. Over time, the analysis showed that the majority of dual users reverted to smoking conventional cigarettes.
Over a period of four to eight months, 30% of dual users switched to cigarettes only. Between eight and 16 months, 47% of dual users switched to cigarettes only. Between 16 and 24 months, the proportion was 58% and after 24 to 48 months, the proportion was 55%. Most dual users continued to use cigarettes across the time periods. Combining those who continued dual use with those who transitioned to smoking only, the total proportion using cigarettes ranged from 90% to 63%. The researchers also point out that over the medium term (eight to 16 months), 38% of dual users were still using both vapes and cigarettes.
Reference: Hamoud, J., Hanewinkel, R., & Andreas, S. (2024). A systematic review investigating the impact of dual use of e-cigarettes and conventional cigarettes on smoking cessation. ERJ Open Research, 2024, 00902-2024. https://doi.org/10.1183/23120541.00902-2024
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