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e-cigarettes tend to lead to prolonged use of nicotine , rather than quitting the habit entirely .
Up in smoke
Report finds e-cigarettes are ineffective for quitting .
By Wade Zaglas
Research conducted by both ANU
and the University of Melbourne has concluded that using e-cigarettes triples the chances of a non-smoker taking up conventional smoking .
The report , which was submitted to the government , also found “ insufficient ” evidence that e-cigarettes can help smokers quit tobacco smoking .
“ We found clear evidence that nonsmokers who use e-cigarettes are around three times as likely to take up conventional smoking as their peers who don ’ t use e-cigarettes ,” lead researcher Professor Emily Banks from ANU said .
University of Melbourne researcher Olivia Baenziger added : “ Our findings support concerns that e-cigarettes are a gateway to smoking , especially among young people .”
The researchers acknowledge that Australia “ leads the world in tobacco control ”, with 11 per cent of adults smoking daily and approximately 97 per cent of 14- to 17-year-olds reporting they have never smoked .
The health messaging around the dangers of tobacco smoking , combined with a host of other factors , has seen the percentage of 14- to 17-year-olds who have never smoked increase five-fold between 2001 and 2016 .
Considering Australia ’ s success in significantly lowering smoking rates among both adults and youth , the importance of studying e-cigarette effects is crucial work , particularly for the health sector .
“ E-cigarettes could undermine a wonderful smoke-free start in life ,” Banks said .
“ There are around 2.3 million smokers in Australia , and it is our number one cause of premature death and disability .
“ Avoiding e-cigarettes in non-smokers is vital to keeping progress going against smoking .”
The study also found “ limited ” evidence that e-cigarettes help with smoking cessation , and former smokers who are using e-cigarettes ( or vaping ) are more than twice as likely to relapse .
Despite the introduction in recent times of Nicotine Replacement Therapy ( NRT ) and medications aimed at suppressing an individual ’ s desire to smoke , the report found that willpower alone is the most effective technique .
“ Most people who give up smoking successfully don ’ t use any products like patches or medication to do it – they do it by themselves , for example by going cold turkey ,” Banks said .
“ Our review found that there wasn ’ t sufficient evidence to conclude that e-cigarettes are effective for quitting smoking compared to other approaches , but there are promising signs that they have potential to help .
“ The evidence also indicates that e-cigarettes tend to lead to prolonged use of nicotine , rather than quitting the habit entirely .”
While The Royal College of General Practitioners presently lists e-cigarettes “ as a last resort for quitting , after other measures ”, several prominent Australian and international doctors have promoted the use of e-cigarettes .
One such doctor is Dr Brad McKay , a Sydney-based GP who often appears in the media .
According to his comments in 2019 , McKay is among a group of Australian doctors who believe vaping is a healthier alternative to cigarettes .
“ Is vaping the new methadone ? I suppose at this point in time it ’ s a similarity ,” McKay told the ABC .
He added he would support individuals taking up vaping if they had tried everything to quit without success , but insisted ( like many other doctors ) that more regulation was required .
However , the authors of this latest report hold a different view .
“ Australia is in a great position to use the best possible evidence to protect the health of future generations , while supporting smokers to quit ,” Banks said .
“ There is a lot of pressure from companies and individuals who stand to make millions from e-cigarettes .
“ We definitely don ’ t want something widely available that is going to increase people taking up smoking .”
The summary report on e-cigarette use and impact on tobacco uptake and cessation in Australia was written by researchers from the ANU Research School of Population Health and funded by The Australian Government Department of Health . ■
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