Electronic cigarettes in physician practice

Abstract

There is growing evidence for the effectiveness of e-cigarettes as a quitting aid and, although not completely harmless, the scientific consensus is that they are substantially less harmful than smoking tobacco. More research is needed, but there is now sufficient empirical evidence and real-world experience over more than a decade to consider their use as a legitimate tobacco harm reduction tool for smokers who are unable or unwilling to quit with conventional strategies. Smokers should be advised that the highest success rates occur with daily use with nicotine e-liquid and newer e-cigarette models. After quitting smoking, it is preferable to aim ultimately to cease vaping if possible, but long-term use of e-cigarettes is safer than relapsing to smoking.