E-Cigarettes May Be Carcinogenic But They'll Help You Stop Smoking

A new study suggests that e-cigarettes can help you quit smoking with 60 percent more success than nicotine or going cold turkey.

Image via Lindsay Fox

There's a chance e-cigarettes may be carcinogenic, but they can also help you stop smoking. According to Reuters, new research published in the journal Addiction suggests that e-cigs are more effective than quitting cold turkey or relying on nicotine gum or patches.

The study followed just under 6,000 smokers over five years and found that e-cigarette users were 60 percent more likely to successfully quit smoking. While 20 percent of people using e-cigarettes as a quitting aid were successful, just 10 percent of smokers using over-the-counter nicotine products managed to stop.

"E-cigarettes could substantially improve public health because of their widespread appeal and the huge health gains associated with stopping smoking," Robert West of University College London's epidemiology and public health department, who led the study, told Reuters.

Still, it's important to note that e-cigs still have not been approved by the FDA and that there isn't much evidence about the long-term effects of the devices.

[via BetaBeat]

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