Daily e-cigarettes use increased overall smoking cessation rates than nondaily use: JAMA

A new study published in the Journal of American Medical Association suggests a persistent correlation among the higher rates of quitting cigarette, daily e-cigarette usage and e-cigarette use from 2019 to 2021. The relationship between e-cigarettes and quitting combustion cigarettes influences the health consequences related to e-cigarette use at the population level. It is within the jurisdiction of the US Food and Drug Administration to control the taste and kind of e-cigarettes. Thus, this study by Karin  Kasza and colleagues was to find out if there is a relationship between e-cigarette attributes and smoking cessation behaviors among adult US e-cigarette users.

This cohort analysis was carried out utilizing longitudinal data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health analysis, a population-based, nationally representative study of the US, which was undertaken from 2014 to 2021. A 4-staged, stratified sampling strategy was used to choose participants from the civilian, non-institutionalized population. Data from 1985 persons who were 21 years of age or older, regularly smoked cigarettes, and had used e-cigarettes during the previous 30 days were weighted and analyzed. Between May 2021 and May 2024, data were examined. As a stand-in for the changing e-cigarette market, the following features of e-cigarettes were evaluated, which included flavor type (menthol or mint, sweet, tobacco, and combination), usage frequency (daily and nondaily), device type (cartridge, disposable, and tank), and year of gathering data.

A total of 1985 individuals who were representative of the adult population made up the study sample and the usage of e-cigarettes in 2019 to 2021 versus 2014-2015 to 2015-2016 was found to be similarly related with increased overall cigarette cessation rates. Daily vs. nondaily e-cigarette usage was linked to higher overall cigarette discontinuation rates. When evaluating e-cigarette usage at baseline, only the use of menthol or mint flavor e-cigarettes was linked to higher total cigarette cessation rates. Adjusted studies revealed no relationship between the kind of e-cigarette device and the rates of cigarette cessation.

Overall, the daily e-cigarette usage and e-cigarette use from 2019 to 2021 were consistently linked to higher rates of cigarette quitting in this cohort analysis of adult US users. The results imply that randomized clinical studies utilizing these products are necessary and that choices on the public health implications of e-cigarettes should be based on evidence from e-cigarettes that have emerged outside of the regulated market in recent years.

Source:

Kasza, K. A., Rivard, C., Goniewicz, M. L., Fong, G. T., Hammond, D., Cummings, K. M., & Hyland, A. (2024). E-Cigarette Characteristics and Cigarette Cessation Among Adults Who Use E-Cigarettes. In JAMA Network Open (Vol. 7, Issue 8, p. e2423960). American Medical Association (AMA). https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.23960