E-Cigarettes and Smoking Cessation: Another Randomized Trial

Clinical trials have shown that nicotine-containing e-cigarettes can help people to stop smoking (Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2024; 1:CD010216; NEJM JW Gen Med Feb 15 2024 and JAMA Intern Med 2024 Jan 29; [e-pub]); however, use of e-cigarettes for this purpose remains controversial. In this randomized trial from Switzerland, 1246 adult smokers (median age, 38; median cigarettes daily, 15) received free e-cigarettes plus smoking-cessation counseling or smoking-cessation counseling only; both groups also were permitted to use nicotine-replacement therapy.

At 6 months, participants in the e-cigarette group were significantly more likely than control participants to be continuously abstinent from tobacco smoking, according to self-report with bio…