SMOKING and VAPING: Why combining them is not a good idea

The study, a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature, either published studies having followed dual users, or smokers who also use electronic cigarettes, attempted to clarify the long-term effects of this combined use. His conclusion argues that this dual use could be even more harmful than conventional smoking and even more harmful than vaping alone.

Analysiswhich combined 16 studies involving a total of 9,337 participants, including 2,432 dual users, found that:

• dual users are less likely to quit smoking;
• over time, the majority of dual users return to conventional cigarettes;
• among dual users, the smoking cessation rate is 3% over a period of 4 to 8 months, 5% over a period of 8 to 16 months, 13% over a period of 16 to 24 months and 24% over a period of 24 to 48 months;
• among dual users, in the medium term (8 to 16 months), 38% of electronic cigarette users still consume both electronic cigarettes and traditional cigarettes;
• among people who only vape, these withdrawal rates rise to 8%, 19%, 26% and 35% respectively;
• over a period of 4 to 8 months, 30% of dual users returned to smoking only; over a period of 8 to 16 months, this is the case for 47% of dual users, over a period of 16 and 24 months, this is the case for 58% and after 24 to 48 months, this proportion reaches 55%. .

In other words, one in two double users ends up returning to traditional cigarettes.

The conclusion of this team is that:

• dual behavior, smoking and vaping, could prove to be a major obstacle to smoking abstinence. If the e-cigarette can help “get rid of” tobacco dependence, completely stopping traditional cigarettes when switching to electronic cigarettes could be the preferred scenario.

Although it has been argued that heavy smokers may benefit from dual use by reducing their daily cigarette consumption, the high nicotine content of e-cigarettes increases the risk of continued nicotine dependence, the authors point out, calling for has

better clarify, among dual users, the factors favorable to smoking cessation.