Success rates with nicotine personal vaporizers: a prospective 6-month pilot study of smokers not intending to quit.
BACKGROUND
Electronic cigarettes (e-Cigs) are an attractive long-term alternative nicotine source to conventional cigarettes. Although they may assist smokers to remain abstinent during their quit attempt, studies using first generation e-Cigs report low success rates. Second generation devices (personal vaporisers - PVs) may result in much higher quit rates, but their efficacy and safety in smoking cessation and/or reduction in clinical trials is unreported.


METHODS
We conducted a prospective proof-of-concept study monitoring modifications in smoking behaviour of 50 smokers (unwilling to quit) switched onto PVs. Participants attended five study visits: baseline, week-4, week-8, week-12 and week-24. Number of cigarettes/day (cigs/day) and exhaled carbon monoxide (eCO) levels were noted at each visit. Smoking reduction/abstinence rates, product usage, adverse events and subjective opinions of these products were also reviewed.


RESULTS
Sustained 50% and 80% reduction in cigs/day at week-24 was reported in 15/50 (30%) and 7/50 (14%) participants with a reduction from 25cigs/day to 6cigs/day (p < 0.001) and 3cigs/day (p < 0.001), respectively. Smoking abstinence (self-reported abstinence from cigarette smoking verified by an eCO ≤10 ppm) at week-24 was observed in 18/50 (36%) participants, with 15/18 (83.3%) still using their PVs at the end of the study. Combined 50% reduction and smoking abstinence was shown in 33/50 (66%) participants. Throat/mouth irritation (35.6%), dry throat/mouth (28.9%), headache (26.7%) and dry cough (22.2%) were frequently reported early in the study, but waned substantially by week-24. Participants' perception and acceptance of the products was very good.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of second generation PVs substantially decreased cigarette consumption without causing significant adverse effects in smokers not intending to quit.


BACKGROUND
(ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02124200).
Centro per la Prevenzione e Cura del Tabagismo (CPCT), Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria "Policlinico-Vittorio Emanuele", Università di Catania, Catania, Italy. polosa@unict.it.
Riccardo
R
Polosa
Pasquale
P
Caponnetto
Marilena
M
Maglia
Jaymin B
JB
Morjaria
Cristina
C
Russo
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D066300:Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009538:Nicotine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods*
D009538:Nicotine