The latest evidence from the data amassed by the Cochrane Review shows that smokers are more like to succeed in quitting if they turn to vaping than if they use other methods.
What is the Cochrane Review?
The Cochrane Review is an ongoing project that looks at all the latest studies concerning vaping. The findings are regularly updated with the latest evidence, creating a comprehensive overview of the available research.
The process of looking at all the available information and continually updating it is known as a meta-analysis.
What does the Cochrane Review aim to discover?
The researchers look for evidence that reveals:
- The methods that help smokers to quit.
- How the different methods compare with each other.
- How changing the provision of these methods might improve quit rates or help more people.
- What level of harm can be linked to the different quit methods.
- Which methods help smokers to succeed over the longer term.
What about the latest review?
The latest review was published 10 November 2025.
104 studies published up to March 2025 had been considered. Those studies looked at over 30,000 smokers. The efficacy of e-cigarettes containing e-liquid with nicotine were compared to that of:
- Nicotine replacement therapy (patches or gum)
- Varenicline (a medicine to help people stop smoking)
- E-cigarettes without nicotine
- Heated tobacco
- Oral nicotine pouches
- The latest e-cigarettes
- Advice and counselling
- No support
Most studies referenced took place in the USA and the UK.
What were the findings?
The Cochrane Review found that people are more likely to stop smoking for at least six months using nicotine e-cigarettes than when using other methods. Indeed smokers are more than twice as likely to quit than when receiving no support or counselling only.
Low numbers of unwanted effects, including serious unwanted effects, were reported in studies comparing nicotine e-cigarettes to nicotine replacement therapy.
The unwanted effects that were reported most often with e-cigarettes containing nicotine were throat or mouth irritation, headache, cough, and nausea. These appear similar to those experienced when using NRT. Unwanted effects were seen to reduce over time as people continued using e-cigarettes.
The full report is available here
