E-cigarettes not yet a cessation aid for smoking: US doctors

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E-cigarettes are causing quite a debate among health experts and researchers, as more and more studies are being conducted to find if they are really a healthier alternative to tobacco, or if they indeed help smokers cease smoking. Reuters reports that according to new US guidelines on tobacco cessation, there isn't enough evidence to prove whether e-cigarettes are indeed effective in helping smokers quit.

US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is a government-backed independent organization that reviews medical evidence in support of tobacco cessation guidelines so they can determine if insurance can pay for certain screenings and treatments.

USPSTF based their updated guidelines on a research review by Carrie Patnode and colleagues. Patnode found that only 2 large trials assessing e-cigarettes for smoking cessation had met the gold standard for medical research. One trial had 650 smokers and revealed that there was no significant difference in smoking cessation after 6 months for e-cigarettes containing liquid nicotine, e-cigarettes without nicotine, or nicotine patches.

Another trial studied 300 smokers over 12 months and found that e-cigs with nicotine is slightly better (11 percent cessation) than the devices with nicotine cartridges (4 percent cessation).

Patnode told Reuters, "There is a large variation in the devices and cartridge fluids publicly available and new products are rapidly entering the market. It is clear that more data on both the benefits and harms of these products—from well-designed trials—is needed."

Reuters reports that according to Dr. Francisco Garcia, a task force member and researcher at the University of Arizona, "There is not enough evidence to evaluate the effectiveness, safety or benefits and harms of using e-cigarettes to help people quit smoking."

Garcia added, "The task force recommends that clinicians direct patients who smoke tobacco to other cessation interventions with established effectiveness and safety. Many studies show that combinations of behavioral interventions or pharmacotherapies can help the most."

In an interview with TIME earlier this year, Garcia said, "We have an embarrassment of riches in terms of a menu of things to offer patients who want to quit smoking. But every individual is different; some might respond better to behavioral therapy, some might respond better to varenicline, some might feel nicotine replacement is important to bridge them away from tobacco use."

However, e-cigarette use is not only common among adults. In April, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that e-cigarette use has tripled among middle and high school students, raising a concern about how using e-cigarettes may lead to using tobacco as teens grow older. The CDC also reports that the number of adults who have used an e-cigarette at least once increased from 3.3 percent in 2010 to 8.5 percent in 2013.