Electronic Cigarettes for Smoking Cessation: Cochrane Living Systematic Review
Stay up-to-date
- Access our latest review here:
- Access our regularly updated briefing documents here:
- Plain language briefing [November 2024]
- Briefing for healthcare professionals and policy makers [November 2024]
-Briefing materials for companion projects on biomarkers, flavours and longer-term use of e-cigarettes’
News and impact
Access selected press coverage received for the Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation Cochrane review.
Disclaimer: by listing the articles we are not endorsing their content.
Presentations
This review has been presented to numerous national and international bodies. For a list of selected presentations please click on the link below.
Since coming on the market over a decade ago, electronic cigarettes have caused a considerable stir in the public health community. It is of prime importance that the debate around this issue is based on high quality, relevant and up to date scientific data.
We want to be able to include all the evidence as it becomes available to ensure that the findings are as comprehensive as possible. With support from Cancer Research UK, we are searching monthly for new evidence for our Cochrane review of electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation (a “living systematic review” approach). Cochrane systematic reviews are recognised as the highest standard in evidence-based healthcare, bringing together primary research data to facilitate evidence based choices about health interventions. In April 2021 the first update to the review since it became a living review has been published.
Since its first publication in 2014, this review has contributed to national and international guidelines. There is a huge amount of misinformation circulating about electronic cigarettes, and we are actively involved in sharing the evidence with diverse audiences. This webpage provides the latest information from and on our review, which evaluates the safety and effect of using e-cigarettes to help people quit smoking. For our key findings see the latest version of the living review or our briefing documents, links above.
This review has informed numerous national and international healthcare guidelines. Click here for examples.
Older reviews:
Electronic Cigarettes for Smoking Cessation (Nov 2022)
Electronic Cigarettes for Smoking Cessation (Sept 2021)
Electronic Cigarettes for Smoking Cessation (Apr 2021)
Electronic Cigarettes for Smoking Cessation (2020)
Electronic Cigarettes for Smoking Cessation (2018)
Electronic Cigarettes for Smoking Cessation (2016)
Electronic Cigarettes for Smoking Cessation (2014) - cited in 12 Cochrane guidelines.
Partnerships
Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group
National Institute for Health Research
Monthly search findings
To access the records picked up in our monthly searches since the publication of the last review update please click on the link below.
New Cochrane review
Interventions for quitting vaping
For people who want to stop vaping there is currently limited guidance based on direct evidence on: how to stop vaping nicotine; the most effective ways to ensure long-term vaping cessation; or minimising the risk of tobacco smoking relapse and other unintended effects of treatment.
In our new Cochrane review of interventions for quitting vaping we set out to bring together the latest evidence in order to provide clear and accurate information to help people who want to stop vaping or need to provide information on this topic.
Ways to stop vaping could include: behavioural interventions such as text messaging or counselling support; pharmacological interventions, such as cytisine, nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), varenicline, and bupropion; and changes in characteristics of vapes, such as reductions in nicotine content.
Results coming soon.
Key publications:
The Cochrane review of electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation: Remaining focused on the evidence
Journal article
Notley C. et al, (2021), European Respiratory Journal, 58
Longer-term use of electronic cigarettes when provided as a stop smoking aid: Systematic review with meta-analyses
Journal article
Butler AR. et al, (2022), Preventive Medicine, 165
Biomarkers of potential harm in people switching from smoking tobacco to exclusive e-cigarette use, dual use or abstinence: secondary analysis of Cochrane systematic review of trials of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation
Journal article
Hartmann-Boyce J. et al, (2022), Addiction
An exploration of flavours in studies of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation: secondary analyses of a systematic review with meta-analyses
Journal article
Lindson N. et al, (2022), Addiction
Podcasts & videos
Views
7 things to know about e-cigarettes and quitting smoking
In this blog, Jamie Hartmann-Boyce from the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group and Martin Dockrell from the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities share 7 things you need to know about e-cigarettes and quitting smoking, with evidence from the Cochrane Living Review of E-cigarettes and Smoking Cessation.
Meet the team
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Rachna Begh
BeghDeputy Course Director, MSc Translational Health Sciences & University Research ...
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Spanning 15+ countries
70+ Organisations
70+ Publications