Individuals who quit smoking with the help of e-cigarettes are less likely to relapse than those who used nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), according to a study published in Addiction.Why It’s Relevant
E-cigarettes are effective tools to help people quit smoking, but they still carry their own health risks. It’s unclear whether clinicians should counsel their patients to stop using e-cigarettes once they use them to stop smoking, the researchers wrote. The key question is “whether the use of [e-cigarettes] post-smoking cessation decreases or increases the risk of relapse back to smoking.” If e-cigarettes help prevent relapse, it would be a net-positive impact on health.
By the Numbers
- The researchers conducted a secondary analysis on a trial of 886 smokers (median age 41 years, 48% female), some who quit smoking with the help of NRT and some who quit by using e-cigarettes.
- Four weeks after starting their intervention, 45% of those in the e-cigarette arm reported abstinence (defined as not smoking in the past seven days) compared with 30% in the NRT arm.
- Participants in the e-cigarette arm who were abstinent at four weeks had a 22% lower risk of relapsing at 12 months than individuals in the NRT arm.
- Participants in the e-cigarette arm who were abstinent at six months had a 29% lower risk of relapsing at 12 months than those in the NRT arm.
The Other Side
Abstinence rates may have been overestimated because they were self-reported and not biochemically verified. Additionally, more studies are needed to assess if the findings hold beyond one year and apply to prolonged e-cigarette use.
Takeaway Message
The study “provides the first evidence that smokers who successfully stop smoking and continue [e-cigarette] use reduce their risk of relapse back to smoking,” the researchers wrote. “If replicated, the finding would provide evidence that successful quitters who continue to use [e-cigarettes] should not be discouraged from such use.”
Related Information
Source
Peter Hajek et al. Continuing use of e-cigarettes after stopping smoking and relapse: secondary analysis of a large randomised controlled trial. Addiction. Published January 21, 2026. doi: 10.1111/add.70294.
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