Research

A new study looking at one-year quit-rates for smokers purchasing their first e-cigarette has found that around 41 percent quit smoking entirely and another 25 percent reduced their cigarette consumption by at least half. The finding contradicts claims that there is no evidence e-cigarettes help you quit smoking, and joins other research in suggesting that quit-rates with e-cigs dwarf those obtained with over-the-counter NRT.

A new study from Dr. Konstantinos Farslinos and colleagues has provided further confirmation that e-cigarettes are vastly safer than cigarettes, including naturally-extracted tobacco (NET) e-liquids that use flavor directly extracted from tobacco leaves. Among other findings, NET e-liquids were shown to have over 200 times less nitrosamines than cigarettes.

A new study claims to have found that watching ads for e-cigarettes featuring the act of vaping increases the urge to smoke for daily smokers and weakens intentions to continue abstaining for ex-smokers. However, taking a look at the details makes it obvious that this study must be interpreted with caution.

A new study looking at the factors associated with switching from cigalike e-cigarettes to advanced devices has provided more evidence that newer-generation devices are more effective when it comes to quitting smoking, and confirms what most vapers know: advanced devices are just better all round.

The issue of reliability in e-cigarette research is being brought into the limelight recently. So, in the manner of “A Rough Guide to Spotting Bad Science,” is there anything we should be on the lookout for when considering the findings of e-cigarette-related studies? Whether by incompetence or by design, there are many common problems with vaping related research - and how its often reported - that any critical reader of the science should keep an eye out for.

According to a new study, minors can “easily” buy e-cigarettes online – provided they’re happy to lie about their age and are in possession of a credit card – so the authors argue that adult vapers shouldn’t be able to receive deliveries. The authors found that 94 percent of purchase attempts made by minors, that weren't thwarted by apparent website errors rather than age verification issues, were successful.

In a new study, the profound level of public misunderstanding about tobacco harm reduction products like chewing tobacco, snus and e-cigarettes has been revealed. Among other findings, the study suggests that around half of those who’ve heard about e-cigarettes believe them to be either as harmful as smoking or even more so.

A new study looking into the effect of e-cigarette vapor and liquid on the lungs has found evidence of oxidative stress, inflammation and toxicity, and suggests that dripping is likely worse for you than using a clearomizer or tank. The good news is that while e-cigarettes may be worse than air, the study does indicate that e-cigarettes are much safer than cigarettes.

According to the findings of a new study, switching from smoking to vaping means reducing your exposure to toxic chemicals by a factor of about (probably over) 1,500. However, this study comes from tobacco company (and owner of Blu and SkyCig) Lorillard, so is it really reliable, or just a hollow PR stunt?

A new study has demonstrated that e-cigarettes appear to reduce the ability of the lungs to fight off bacteria and viruses in mice, a finding which has been reported as “E-cigarettes increase the risk of flu and pneumonia.” The authors conclude that “e-cig exposure is not a safe alternative to smoking.” But do the findings really apply to human vapers?

Another study has called the addiction-based criticisms of vaping into question, suggesting that e-cigarettes are much less addictive than cigarettes and around as addictive as nicotine gum - which isn't particularly addictive at all.

The cancer risk associated with formaldehyde consumption from long-term high-voltage vaping is 5 to 15 times greater than the formaldehyde-related risk from long-term pack-a-day smoking, according to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. However, when you look more closely, the finding isn't quite what it seems.

In December, the 2013 Health Survey for England was released, adding more evidence that non-smokers – children or adults – are not particularly interested in e-cigarettes, and that vaping is confined almost entirely to smokers or ex-smokers. Yet again, the idea of a potential gateway to smoking has been slapped down by cold, hard numbers.

A new study has attempted to settle the "e-liquid flavors attract teens" debate, and found that flavors don’t attract non-smoking teens to e-cigarettes. The results suggest that pre-existing interest in e-cigarettes is the most important factor: even widely-criticized flavors like bubblegum or cotton candy had no impact on non-smoking teens' interest in vaping, and actually appealed more to adults.

The new Monitoring the Future 2014 results show that more 8th, 10th and 12th graders had used an e-cigarette in the past 30 days than had smoked a cigarette. However, as is always the case, the rates of vaping among non-smokers is very low, and the concern about the findings is far from justified.

The new Cochrane Review of the effectiveness of e-cigarettes for quitting confirms that the evidence to date supports the idea that even poorly performing cig-a-likes are effective for helping smokers either quit entirely or markedly reduce the amount they smoke.

A new study actually asked the questions that need to be asked to work out if e-cigarettes are a gateway to cigarettes, and (surprise, surprise) found no evidence of a gateway effect from vaping.

Despite criticisms that vapers are simply continuing in their nicotine addiction, a new study has provided evidence that e-cigarette users are much less addicted to vaping than they once were to smoking. Not only do e-cigs drastically reduce harm, they curb addiction too.

A new study from the UK has found that the number of 10 to 11 year olds who’d ever tried e-cigarettes was actually higher than the corresponding number for tobacco cigarettes, with the researchers arguing the finding "reinforces concerns" about a potential gateway to smoking.

A new study from Professor Riccardo Polosa has found that second-generation e-cigarettes are effective for helping smokers quit. Two-thirds of the smokers studied, who had no intention of quitting, either stopped smoking entirely or reduced their daily smoking by at least half after starting vaping.