E-cigarettes 'as effective' as nicotine patches

Electronic cigarettes appear to be at least
as effective as nicotine patches in helping
people to give up smoking, research
suggests.
The devices, which are rapidly growing in
popularity, produce a vapour containing
nicotine.
The findings, presented at the European
Respiratory Society, showed similar numbers
quitting with e-cigarettes as patches, but more
had cut down.
There was a call, however, for long-term data
on safety.
As well as giving a nicotine hit, the e-cigarettes
also mimic the sensory sensations of smoking.
This has led to speculation that they may be a
useful tool for people trying to quit.
A team at the University of Auckland, in New
Zealand, conducted the first clinical trial
comparing the devices with nicotine patches in
657 people.
The results published in the Lancet showed
7.3% using e-cigarettes had quit after six
months compared with 5.8% using patches.
However, the study did not involve enough
people to definitively prove which is the better
option.
After six months, however, the 57% of e-
cigarette users had halved the number of
cigarettes smoked each day compared with
41% in those using patches.

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