Cessation | Benefits
Accelerating the Shift to Safer Alternatives
For net public health benefit, the trend towards switching from high-risk smoked products such as cigarettes – to low risk, smoke-free products such as e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products and smokeless tobacco, should be accelerated.
Cessation | Nicotine
Nicotine Absorption: Key to Safer Alternatives
Understand the basic mechanism of nicotine absorption and distribution in the body. This needs to be considered when prescribing medicinal nicotine for patients or recommending reduced risk nicotine alternatives like e-cigarettes.
Cessation | Benefits
Accelerating the Shift to Safer Alternatives
For net public health benefit, the trend towards switching from high-risk smoked products such as cigarettes – to low risk, smoke-free products such as e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products and smokeless tobacco, should be accelerated.
Cessation | E-cigarettes
Vaping: A Safer Path to Quitting Smoking
E-cigarettes, also known as vaping, are smokeless, reduced-nicotine products that have been proven 95% less harmful than combustible tobacco. Vaping is highly effective in helping smokers quit and supports long-term smoking relapse prevention.
Nicotine
Assessing Nicotine Dependence with the Fagerström Test
Quantify the dependence on nicotine – to help reinforce the need to quit smoking. Here, a useful test is the Fagerström test for cigarette dependence.
Oral Nicotine
Oral Nicotine Pouches and NRTs: Supporting Smoking Cessation
Oral Nicotine Pouches, including Nicotine Replacement Products (NRTs), play an important role in smoking cessation to help reduce smoking-related death and disease.
Cessation | E-cigarettes
“Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation”
This Cochrane Database review assesses the efficacy of e-cigarettes in helping smokers quit, comparing nicotine-containing e-cigarettes with nicotine replacement therapy and placebo.
Cessation | NRT
“Nicotine replacement therapy versus control for smoking cessation”
This Cochrane review evaluates the effectiveness of nicotine replacement therapies, such as patches and gum, in aiding smoking cessation compared to placebo treatments.
Efficacy | E-cigarettes
“Electronic cigarettes: an evidence update”
A Public Health England report that provides an overview of the current evidence on e-cigarettes, including their role in smoking cessation and relative harm compared to smoking traditional cigarettes.
Efficacy | E-cigarettes
“Electronic cigarettes as a harm reduction strategy for tobacco control: a step forward or a repeat of past mistakes?”
This article discusses the potential of e-cigarettes as a harm reduction tool, weighing the benefits against possible risks and unintended consequences.
E-cigarettes
“Use of electronic cigarettes (vapourisers) among adults in Great Britain”
A report by Action on Smoking and Health that examines the prevalence and patterns of e-cigarette use among adults in Great Britain, providing insights into their role in tobacco harm reduction.
Nicotine
Nicotine: The Misunderstood Molecule
A misunderstood molecule. Despite widespread misperceptions,nicotine does not cause cancer and has minimal, if any, contribution to tobacco-related disease.
Additional Reading
- Anti-tobacco group wants ‘balance’ in vaping policies and media coverage
Kenneth Warner and David JK Balfour - Tobacco Harm reduction in the 21st Century
O’Leary and Polosa - Nicotine without smoke – Tobacco Harm Reduction
Royal College of Physicians
For more information, please visit our Health Professionals page
References:
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- West, R., & Brown, J. (2019). For net public health benefit, the trend towards switching from high-risk smoked products such as cigarettes to low risk, smoke-free products such as e-cigarettes, heated tobacco products and smokeless tobacco should be accelerated. European PubMed Central. – Reference Link
- THR (2021). Tobacco Harm Reduction 2021. Tobacco Harm Reduction. – Reference Link
- Foulds, J., & Hyman, M. (2012). A fresh look at tobacco harm reduction: The case for the electronic cigarette. ResearchGate. – Reference Link
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). (2014). Fagerström Test for Cigarette Dependence. National Institute on Drug Abuse. – Reference Link
- THR (2021). Oral Nicotine Delivery Systems. Tobacco Harm Reduction. – Reference Link
- Hartmann-Boyce, J., Lindson, N., Chester, M., & Wheatley, A. (2021). Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. – Reference Link
- Stead, L. F., Perera, R., Bullen, C., Mant, D., & Hartmann-Boyce, J. (2019). Nicotine replacement therapy versus control for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. – Reference Link
- Public Health England. (2018). Electronic cigarettes: an evidence update. Public Health England. – Reference Link
- Miech, R., Johnston, L. D., O’Malley, P. M., & Bachman, J. G. (2017). Electronic cigarettes: an evidence update. National Library of Medicine. – Reference Link
- Action on Smoking and Health. (2021). Use of electronic cigarettes (vapourisers) among adults in Great Britain. Action on Smoking and Health. – Reference Link
- Smoke Free Sweden. (2024). No smoke, less harm: How non-combustible nicotine alternatives accelerate tobacco control and harm reduction. Retrieved from – Reference Link
