PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Bekir Kaplan
AU  - Panagis Galiatsatos
AU  - Alison Breland
AU  - Thomas Eissenberg
AU  - Joanna E Cohen
TI  - Effectiveness of ENDS, NRT and medication for smoking cessation among cigarette-only users: a longitudinal analysis of PATH Study wave 3 (2015–2016) and 4 (2016–2017), adult data
AID  - 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2020-056448
DP  - 2021 Sep 14
TA  - Tobacco Control
PG  - tobaccocontrol-2020-056448
4099  - http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/early/2021/09/15/tobaccocontrol-2020-056448.short
4100  - http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/early/2021/09/15/tobaccocontrol-2020-056448.full
AB  - Background Research is inconclusive on the effectiveness of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) as cigarette cessation aids compared with nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) or non-NRT medication. This study compared the cigarette cessation rates for ENDS, NRT and non-NRT medication.Method Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study wave 3 cigarette-only users who used ENDS, NRT or non-NRT medication (varenicline and bupropion) to quit smoking between wave 3 and 4 were included. ‘Cessation’ was defined as being a former cigarette smoker in wave 4. χ2, logistic regression, and a sensitivity analysis with Bayes factor assessed the association between quitting smoking and method used.Results Among 6794 cigarette-only users, 532 used ENDS (n=75), NRT (n=289), non-NRT medication (n=68), or a combination of NRT and non-NRT medication (n=100) to quit smoking between wave 3 and 4. The percentages of quitting smoking among those who used ENDS, NRT, non-NRT medication, and a combination of NRT and non-NRT medication were 16.2% (n=14), 16.1% (n=47), 17.7% (n=13), and 14.8% (n=12), respectively (p=0.97). None of the cigarette-only users who used ENDS to quit smoking became ENDS-only users in wave 4; 37.6% became dual users of ENDS and cigarettes.Conclusion No differences were found when cessation rates of ENDS, NRT or non-NRT medication were compared. Given uncertainty about the long-term health effect of ENDS and the likelihood of becoming dual users, people who smoke and need assistance quitting should be encouraged to use current Food and Drug Administration-approved cessation methods until more effective methods are developed.Data are available in a public, open access repository.