compared to nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) – up from moderate-certainty in the September 2021 review – and moderate-certainty evidence that they increase quit rates compared to ECs without nicotine. Evidence comparing nicotine EC with usual care/no treatment also suggests benefit, but is less certain.
- People are more likely to stop smoking for at least six months using nicotine EC than using NRT (6 studies, 2378 people), or EC without nicotine (5 studies, 1447 people).
- Nicotine EC may help more people to stop smoking than no support or behavioural support only (7 studies, 3126 people).
- For every 100 people using nicotine EC to stop smoking, 9 to 14 might successfully stop, compared with only 6 of 100 people using NRT, 7 of 100 using EC without nicotine, or 4 of 100 people having no support or behavioural support only.
The authors found no difference in adverse events (AEs) between nicotine and non-nicotine ECs nor between nicotine ECs and NRT. The overall incidence of severe AEs was low across all study arms and the authors found no evidence of serious harm from nicotine EC.