Vaping to quit smoking

Quitting smoking is one of the most effective ways to improve one’s health. Fortunately, ever fewer Dutch people are smokers. Various measures, such as higher excise duties, have resulted in a decrease in the percentage of smokers in the Netherlands over the past 10 years, from 25% to 20%. Each year, 1 in 3 smokers tries to quit smoking, but only 4% manage to keep up a quit attempt without assistance. Information and counselling are the measures of first choice in assisting people to quit smoking. If this is unsuccessful, various drugs or nicotine replacement products can be used. In addition, several countries are currently making use of e-cigarettes or vapes, in some cases even on prescription. For instance, English authorities are heavily investing in “Swap to Stop”. But are e-cigarettes useful in quitting smoking? And do the potential benefits outweigh the possible disadvantages? This article summarises the most recent evidence from the literature.